Christine Requerque Pedido, a Filipina security guard, convinced nine of colleagues to contribute Dh100 each in order to buy Big Ticket entries at Dh1,000. They won Dh1 million.
The prize money will be split equally between them. But for one of the winners, it was a prayer answered — a ray of hope.
“One of my co-workers who contributed to the ticket has breast cancer and this money will ease her financial burden.” She is grateful, and we are too,” said Pedido. He was the latest winner in the Millionaire eDraw series of Big Ticket.
Pedido, 36, an expat who moved from the UK to the UAE in September, has always thought of herself as “very lucky” with regards to raffles. She had won small prizes at various draws back home.
“My mother said I was lucky from birth. “I was born breech, feet first. In my culture, this is a sign for good fortune,” she said. Pedido, however, would not be able share her good fortune with her mum who died on her birthday just a few months back.
Her colleagues at Al Ain Women’s Club, who believed in Pedido’s good luck, agreed to pay her Dh100 as a ticket.
“I immediately saw the winning number when I bought the ticket at Al Ain Airport. My heart was racing and I felt uneasy. “I told the cashier I’ve always been lucky at raffles.”
Pedido was ecstatic when she heard the news. “I recognized the host’s tone and it was surreal. Pedido said that at first some of my colleagues were sceptical, but after checking the Big Ticket site, we confirmed that we had won.
The security guard’s life will continue as usual even after a large amount of money lands in her bank account. As she said, “this won’t last forever”.
“I plan to keep my job and use my winnings to expand the farmland I have in the Philippines,” said a single mother whose son is being cared for by her sister at home.
“I already have a small farm but it has always been my dream to secure my family’s future by buying more land.”
She plans to donate part of her winnings as well to charity. She is even looking forward to the next draw on January 3 with great anticipation. “We all plan to try our luck once more,” she said. She added that this win was not just about the money but about sparking the hope that people had given her.
Source : Khaleej Time
