Changes Planned For McHenry VFW Queen of Hearts Game

CRYSTAL LAKE, IL — After the McHenry VFW’s Queen of Hearts raffle drew unprecedented crowds last year, all hoping to walk away with a multimillion-dollar jackpot, organizers are hoping to make some changes this year. Sr. Vice Cmdr. Ben Keefe says the changes are needed since the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4600 does not have enough staff to handle the types of crowds they were faced with in 2018 as the jackpot continued to grow and grow, according to the Northwest Herald. Keefe appeared at a McHenry City Council meeting on Monday to discuss the changes.

The Northwest Herald reports:

Sr. Vice Cmdr. Ben Keefe told the McHenry City Council during its Monday meeting that the nonprofit is open to decreasing the percentage that the jackpot winner receives from 60 percent to 50 percent. He said organizers also hope to limit potential winnings from $6 million to $3 million. The $3 million limit would be placed upon the winning amount before taxes, which means in this case, the pot could grow to $6 million.

In September, an employee with the Schaumburg Park District became the lucky winner of the McHenry VFW's massive jackpot. Lori Skoniecke, a building coordinator for the park district, won the $7.08 million after her ticket was picked from a horse trough of 2.8 million other tickets during a drawdown at the small McHenry VFW building on Route 120, the Northwest Herald reported in September.

The McHenry City Council is expected to vote on potential changes for this year’s Queen of Hearts game in April. VFW officials are hopeful the next round of the popular game will start in May, according to the Northwest Herald.

More via the Northwest Herald

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