Palatine weighs proposal for charity Queen of Hearts drawing at Tap House Grill
Palatine officials plan to do more research before revisiting a charitable organization's request to hold a Queen of Hearts fundraising raffle at Tap House Grill in the village's downtown.
Nonprofit St. Mary's Services in Palatine would use the Queen of Hearts revenue to benefit its Hopeful Beginnings program, which in part provides free counseling to women faced with an unplanned pregnancy, as well as teen parenting education.
Tap House Grill would not benefit from the raffle, but serve just as the drawing venue with limited ticket sales, according to the proposal. St. Mary's Services would be in charge of the drawing, tickets and money.
While an amended state law no longer requires that such a raffle be held at a nonprofit organization, Palatine still has restrictions. That's why St. Mary's Services is seeking a waiver from village ordinance so its drawing could occur this year at Tap House Grill, 56 W. Wilson St.
Council members agreed to refer the matter back to Palatine's administrators for more research on the issue. Village Manager Reid Ottesen, who complimented the thoroughness of St. Mary's Services' application for the waiver, said last week he expects to have the additional information in March.
Palatine Mayor Jim Schwantz said the raffle would be different from one-time casino nights for charities in the village because it could run a maximum 26 weeks.
"We want to help not-for-profits," Schwantz said. "I don't think there's any doubt here. This is just kind of uncharted territory for us. We're looking at ... the global aspect of this."
St. Mary's administration manager Cathy Paglia said similar drawings have been held at Rolling Meadows and Arlington Heights establishments.
Rep's Place sports bar and restaurant in Rolling Meadows hosted Queen of Hearts raffles for St. Colette Catholic School before the Archdiocese of Chicago in January announced it will close. Cortland's Garage in Arlington Heights has been hosting Queen of Hearts drawings for the village's Lions Club.
Schwantz asked Paglia if St. Mary's Services considered the nonprofit American Legion Post 690 hall as host.
"We haven't, only because we know that they have one of their own (Queen of Hearts drawings), so we weren't sure if they would want to do that," Paglia said. "It would be like competition in the same building for them. That's the only reason we haven't."