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Last Updated: May 8th, 2008 - 20:33:00
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Two Coaldale residents are thanking their lucky stars — STARS air ambulance to be precise.
Herb Wall and John Machielse have each won a STARS Lottery home. Wall won the show home in Sylvan Lake and Machielse won the home in Calgary. Calgary resident Debra Lamoureux won Lethbridge’s show home.
“I’m still flyin’,” Wall said Friday during a telephone interview.
The Coaldale farmer was not only surprised to learn he won the home, but he could hardly believe the coincidence that one of his rural neighbours had won, as well.
“Joanne and John only live a mile away on the same road,” he said.
Wall isn’t sure what he and his wife, Christine, will do with the home, although he’s fairly certain they won’t move from the farm. The couple are still trying to get used to the idea they won such a major prize.
“Right now it’s too hard to think.”
Wall’s new home is worth $890,000, while Machielse’s home in Calgary is valued at about $729,000. The retail value of the Lethbridge home is $688,000.
The 827,500 tickets sold in this year’s lottery were grabbed up by Albertans faster than ever before, says Leanne Rekiel, STARS senior communications co-ordinator.
“Tickets were sold in record time, 18 days,” Rekiel said Friday, only hours after the names of the major lottery winners were drawn.
In addition to the major prizes of the three homes, a truck and 5th-wheel trailer, and $1 million in cash, more than 3,000 smaller prizes will be awarded through STARS’ 15th annual lottery.
Rekiel said 10 major prizes were drawn Friday, but none of the other winners were from the Lethbridge region.
STARS has an annual operating budget of about $21 million, of which about $9 million comes from the lottery, which makes it possible to provide the emergency helicopter service throughout the province.
“It’s immensely important to us, and we’re thankful for all the Albertans who supported us and bought tickets,” Rekiel said. “We couldn’t do it without you.”
© Copyright by Lethbridge Herald.com
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