Pictured, from left, are Stubborn German owner Tammy Rahn and Ss. Peter & Paul athletic director John Green. (Sean McGowan photo)

When Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic School athletic director John Green started brainstorming a fundraiser for his department, he knew he would need to think outside of the box.

“We knew that other fundraisers we were doing weren’t getting the results we wanted — we had tried some trivia nights and mouse races. And the mouse race had run its course,” he said.

Green looked for inspiration while hanging out and talking to his friends one night when the perfect idea came to light.

“A friend of mine said, ‘Why don’t you try doing a Queen of Hearts drawing,’” he recalled. And I said, ‘That sounds like a great idea. I’ll have to find a venue.’ 

“So I started looking, and I’ll be honest, I called up multiple businesses in town. But I settled on Stubborn German because Chris and Tammy (Rahn) have kids that go to the school.”

The Rahns were happy to oblige, knowing they could benefit the school where they send their two little ones.

“It sounded like a great way to help the athletic department. And I thought it would be a great way to bring more people in to our business,” Tammy said. “We don’t get a huge crowd on Tuesday nights.”

The Queen of Hearts drawing will take place at 7 p.m. every Tuesday at the brewery until someone wins. If a participant’s name gets drawn, he will automatically win $25. This person then chooses a card out of a standard 52-card deck, hoping to reveal the Queen of Hearts.

If the Queen of Hearts is chosen, the person wins the pot. Otherwise, the pot continues to grow and rolls over to the next week for another contestant to try his luck. The deck decreases with each card drawn while the odds of winning —and the pot— increase.

If the Queen of Hearts is drawn for someone not present, that person only keeps 50 percent of the pot. The first drawing took place last Tuesday.

SPPCS started the pot at $500. With no winner on Tuesday, the pot stands at $1,475.60. The school keeps 20 percent of ticket sales.

“It’s going great. The first night we did the raffle, Stubborn was packed,” he said. “People are really enthusiastic to take part in this.”

Green said the fundraiser will contribute to a long list of needs for the school’s athletics department, ranging from purchasing new uniforms and equipment to covering transportation costs. 

Call Stubborn German at 618-504-2444 or stop by the brewery for more information or to purchase a raffle ticket.

“Things have been going well. We sell tickets all day when we’re open, and I think just Saturday we sold 89 tickets,” Tammy said.