The first winner of the News’ Fun, Festive Giveaway is Mooroopna-born and bred resident Graeme Quinlan.
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Mr Quinlan, 79, who was at home when he heard he had won, said he “was quite stunned because [he] never wins”.
Mr Quinlan is involved at St Brendan’s Catholic Church and St Mary’s Catholic Church, Mooroopna.
For the past 15 years, he has read the News at the Vision Australia Radio station in Shepparton every Tuesday.
Previously he took part in the Meals on Wheels programme for 12 years.
This is the first competition Mr Quinlan has ever won.
“I enter these competitions never expecting to win,” he said.
“I never win anyway, but I still do them. I just enter [and] I never expect to win, I just do it for the fun of it.”
Mr Quinlan said “it was quite easy” to enter the competition.
He read the instructions, looked for the code word while reading the News and filled in the entry form.
“I didn’t even know if I filled it in right,” he said.
Mr Quinlan said he was grateful to receive the prize, as it was something he could share with others and “spread a bit of Christmas cheer around”.
Mr Quinlan’s prize was $1000 worth of vouchers from local businesses, consisting of $500 from SPC factory sales, $200 from Finer Fruit Shepparton, $100 from Higgins Bakery and $200 from Krueger’s Fine Meats & Smallgoods.
Mr Quinlan encouraged everyone to enter, as “these opportunities come up for people to participate in, and it’s a great incentive for people to get involved”.
There are three more weeks remaining in the Fun, Festive Giveaway.
Subscribe to the News before then and you might be the lucky reader who will take home a prize to share with family and friends.