Every weekend in Calgary, there's a way to grab a fresh steak, roast, bag of pork chops or even mystery meat for just $1.

It's called the meat draw, and it happens each Saturday at the Royal Canadian Legion No. 264 in West Hillhurst.

Participants can buy raffle tickets for as little as $1, and winners are drawn every 30 minutes.

"I mean, you're almost guaranteed to go home with something," legion member Karen Ball told the Calgary Eyeopener.

Whether that's a can of Spam or a fresh roast lies in the luck of the draw. But it's a good way to get meat for cheap and support veterans at the same time.

You don't need to be a legion member to participate, though all the proceeds go back to the legion and the work it does to support veterans and their families.

The Kensington legion's building has a main floor restaurant, which is open to the public, as well as a members' lounge and commercial office space. The weekly meat draw is on the second floor. (CBC)

Ball says membership at the legion has been dwindling in recent years, which makes these kinds of events all the more important.

"I'm a real believer of the power of bringing people together, and people supporting one another in the community," she said.

"The programs, and the community, and the way that people come together around legions is still vitally important for us."

Ball couldn't speak to the origins of the event, but the fifth generation Albertan says they're a long-standing tradition at legions not only across Alberta, but throughout Canada.

"In my line of sight, there's always been a meat draw at every small legion in every kind of corner of the province. They must tie to our ranching and rural roots, in some way," she said.

The Kensington legion's meat draw happens at 3 p.m. on the second floor.

With files from the Calgary Eyeopener.