Bank raffle gives away new truck

It’s the season of raffles, and it is a rare Belizean that does not have at least one crumpled ticket stub occupying a hopeful place on the dining room table. This afternoon I was on hand for one major draw right here in the city.

Jacqueline Woods, Reporting

As with all raffles, Atlantic Bank Limited made sure that the barrel holding over one hundred thousand tickets, was spun, spun, and spun again to ensure the draw was conducted as fairly as possible… after all, it’s not everyday someone wins a new vehicle.

Pedro Lozano, Marketing Manager, Atlantic Bank Ltd.

“Basically, the idea behind it is that Atlantic Bank, in an effort to give back to our customers due to their loyalty and trusting in our financial solidity, we are giving back to them in a way a prize, a raffle, a grand raffle we call it for this year which is basically this the 2004 Toyota Hilux pickup.”

The raffle was one of the year’s biggest…and as expected things started to heat up early outside the bank’s headquarters on Freetown Road. Following the drawing of three consolation prizes, it was time to find out who had won the biggest prize of the day. A customer was asked to pick the special ticket and after the winner’s account was checked and cleared it was announced that Maria Perez, with ticket number 89901, had just won herself a new Toyota.

Jacqueline Woods

“Is this a sign that each year the prizes will get bigger?”

Pedro Lozano

“I would say every year our banks give more than just banking services. We give back in anyway we can back to our customers other than just being a smile and a friendly bank.”

News 5 was unable to speak with Maria Perez, an employee of American Airlines, as she is presently on vacation. Meanwhile, the consolation prize winners include Otto R. Penner, who won a nineteen inch television; Edward Thompson, whose winning ticket earned him a washing machine; and Roberto Vasquez, who won a dryer.