By Lori Ehde
The odds were not in their favor, but Hardwick's Cliff and Gladys Anderson are the lucky winners of a $30,000 sports car from Royal River Casino, Flandreau, S.D.
Their number was drawn from a barrel containing more than 50,000 other tickets Thursday, April 11.
"It's never happened to me to win that big of a prize," Gladys said Tuesday.
The casino had been offering a spring promotion during the month of March that gave a free chance at the car to everyone who came through the door that month.
"There were people who came in three times a day. I know people in Flandreau with 200 tickets in there," Cliff said. "The first number pulled out of there was ours."
He and Gladys had accumulated a combined 18 tickets for their odds.
The promotion required winners be present to collect the prize, so the casino was filled to capacity on the day of the drawing.
"That place was so packed we couldnÕt even get to the car at the time of the drawing," Gladys said. "We almost needed security to get through the crowd. They were yelling and cheering, 'We have a winner! They're coming.'"
Amid the commotion, the Andersons basked in the front seat of their 2002 electric green Ford Mustang convertible. "We blew the horn and whooped and hollered," Cliff said. "We celebrated a little."
And then, the couple promptly sold the car back to Flandreau Motors for $25,000. "Uncle Sam got $9,000 of it," Cliff said. "But we're happy."
When asked what the couple intends to do with their new-found wealth, they didn't have specific plans.
"We just bought a house in Hardwick, so that money will come in handy," Cliff said.