With the price of meat edging higher and higher, is it little wonder that meat draws in Moose Jaw (and likely elsewhere) are so successful.
The luck of the draw is of course a factor but winning a roast or package of pork chops occasionally helps the grocery budget, offers some entertaining fun and also provides some profits for sponsoring agencies that undertake good works in the community.
For anyone unfamiliar with the meat draw concept, it is really quite simple. Folks gather at the venue of choice, rolls of coin in hand, and await the moment when a ticket seller approaches with strings of tickets. Tickets are sold one for $1 with no limit on how many tickets one could buy with the hope of winning the meat parcel for that draw. The buyer receives a ticket on which a number is printed. The seller retains a second ticket bearing the same number. That ticket is placed in a container for the draw. The number on the player’s ticket must match the number of the ticket drawn. The holder of the winning ticket takes home the bacon — or maybe ribs or chicken breasts, perhaps a ham and on special occasions, a turkey.
Then the sales start again. The number of draws for the main event varies according to the sponsoring group. Then there are free draws using those same tickets, plus a variety of special draws to round out the afternoon or evening.
Good-natured booing and hissing occurs when the same person wins more than one package of meat, and there is specialized hisses when one is lucky enough to draw one’s own number.
In addition to the possibility of winning enough meat to feed the family for one or two meals, meat draws are a time of socialization, friendly banter, some sipping of beverages, enjoyment of a meal and a place to hang out in support of worthy endeavours.
Over the years our family’s meat draw winning record has been better than the success we’ve had at the lottery kiosk. An expenditure of $7 or $8 for a package of those dreaded chicken breasts or a Christmas turkey is a much better return than any success at winning the elusive million dollars.
I haven’t kept track but I’m convinced we are ahead of the game, even if our wins go in spurts. I don’t mind the boos and hisses, if only the chicken breasts could be won by someone else.
Joyce Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
