BrightSide Tavern’s Queen of Hearts game raises $200K for local causes
Bobbie Prevot, left, and Paul Prevot with the Queen of Hearts board and raffle drum.Cornelia Grace
Weekly raffle draws crowds with a jackpot topping $500,000 while supporting charities, veterans, schools and community programs across Harrison County.
BrightSide Tavern’s Queen of Hearts game has grown into both a local tradition and a fundraising powerhouse. After four years of play, this year’s jackpot has climbed past $500,000, drawing crowds every Wednesday night.
Owners Bobbie and Paul Prevot say the card game is less about boosting business and more about building community. “We wanted community,” Paul Prevot said. “They call it a social event, some of our customers,” Bobbie Prevot said.
The Harrison Central shooting sports booth is set up each week with a gun raffle at the Queen of Hearts game.Submitted
To play, participants 18 and older purchase raffle tickets. If their name is drawn, they select a card from a board of 54. The player who reveals the queen of hearts wins the jackpot, or half the pot if not present at the drawing.
Each week, a 50/50 raffle raises money for local charities. In August, $1,800 went to the Ebenezer Zane Chapter of the Ohio Sons of the American Revolution to support efforts to honor Revolutionary War veterans. To date, the raffles have raised nearly $200,000 for county causes and individuals in need.
“We try to keep it all in county,” Paul Prevot said. Bobbie Prevot said residents often suggest causes and the tavern keeps a running list.
The events also give local groups a platform. Police, military recruiters, veterans’ organizations and school sports teams have hosted booths. Harrison Central’s shooting sports team raffles a gun each week, while another effort raised nearly $12,000 for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, later matched with a grant.
If no Queen of Hearts winner is drawn by Oct. 4, the game will conclude with a draw down until a winner is determined. Tickets are available daily at the tavern. Official rules are posted on the BrightSide Tavern Facebook page.
