Victim of Hurricane Dean wins latest Lotto

While most Belizeans find themselves trying to catch up on post Christmas loan payments, one couple from the Corozal District is celebrating their good luck after they hit all five numbers in Saturday’s lotto draw. Charles Jones and his wife, Rosa Funes of Ranchito Village, only found out yesterday evening that they had won. The money will come in handy for a number of things, including fixing their house which was damaged during Hurricane Dean.

Charles Jones, $55,000 Lotto Winner
“We usually buy Lotto, yo know. We have we own ticket that we all time buy, but we try the quick pick too, yuh know. We buy two ticket, one fi me and one fi mi wife. Inna the two ah dem, when I check my one, well I noh have noh even one ah the numba dem. When mi wife check fi she one, well all ah dem come out.”

Marion Ali
“So how you all felt, knowing this?”

Charles Jones
“Well I feel happy, feel good because, well I neva expect dat I would win the Lotto. … She halla fi me and I frighten, like I get frighten too because I want know dah why, right. She tell me, no, we win. And when I see the ticket, I tell ah yes da true.”

Marion Ali
“Weh unnu wah do with the money?”

Charles Jones
“Well I want repair mi house, first thing right. And I need mi land full up, the house lot full up. Then I need wah operation, well ah wah try get that. I think yuh di see it. And I have a lee farm weh I di build up, I wah try put it up a little more you know.”

Jones and his wife won with the numbers: 03, 06, 12, 14 and 18. Meanwhile, the ninety thousand dollar prize drawn on December twenty-second has still not been claimed. The numbers for that date were: 11, 15, 18, 25 and 30. The winner has up to three months from the date the draw to claim the prize. If no one comes forth in that time with the matching numbers then Tropical Gaming will make a decision as to what to do with the money. This evening the company’s General Manager, Carol Card, told us that the winner still has ample time and urges all Lotto players to double check their tickets from that date.