BY KEITH LACEY
In their 51 years of marriage, Georges and Rita Beaulieu have shared a lot, but they Â?havenÂ?t won a thing.Â?
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That all changed Sunday evening when the happily married coupleÂ?along with their daughter Patsy (Patricia) and her husband RickÂ?discovered they were the lucky winners of SudburyÂ?s Kinsman House draw for 2003.
The big prize includes a beautiful home on Diamond Street with a listed price of $320,000, complete with all furnishings and appliances. The total prize package is estimated at $380,000.
The good news is all four winners are thrilled to have beaten out 6,400 other people who purchased the $100 tickets.
It isnÂ?t really bad news, but none of the four family members really wants or needs to move into a 4,200 square foot home and has decidedÂ?as have many other Kinsman House draw winnersÂ?to sell the home and split the profits.
Georges Beaulieu, 74, has a hard time getting around and he and his wife have no desire to move into a huge home at this late stage of their life.
Patsy and her husband were considering Â?buying out Mom and DadÂ? and moving in, but have decided the best move is to sell the home and split the profits.
They are currently renovating their own home and winning this prize couldnÂ?t have happened at a better time, said Patsy.
Â?ItÂ?s been a hectic few days and weÂ?ve changed our mind quite a few times, but weÂ?ve talked things over and weÂ?ve all decided weÂ?re going to sell the house,Â? she said. Â?The bottom line is Mom and Dad donÂ?t want to move into a monster home like this and my kids simply donÂ?t want to move because they love it here in Val Therese.Â?
There is a story behind how they told their mother and father they were co-winners of the big prize this past Sunday evening, said Patsy.
A member of the Kinsmen Club of Sudbury phoned her motherÂ?s home, and sent a limousine driver to pick them up, but there wasnÂ?t anybody there since Mom and Dad were visiting her sister Linda and her husband Ron Albert for dinner.
The limousine driver decided to return to the Kinsman House and saw that Patsy and her husband were named on the ticket as co-purchasers.
He phoned PatsyÂ?s home and informed her she and her husband were listed on the winning ticket and he then dropped by to pick them up in the limousine, said Patsy.
She knew where her parents were and asked the limousine driver to take them to her brother-in-laws home, which he did, she said.
When the limousine pulled up to the driveway, she started jumping up and down and screaming so everyone inside her brother-in-lawÂ?s home would know she had good news, she said.
When she met her parents near the front door, she told them the ticket they purchased several months ago had won the big prize.
Â?My Mom and Dad couldnÂ?t believe itÂ?theyÂ?ve been together for so long and nothing like this has ever happened in our family,Â? she said.
Another interesting twist to the story is the fact Ron Albert and his wife had also purchased a ticket for the draw and believed, for a few fleeting seconds, they might be the big winners.
Â?My heart started pounding, because I thought I had the winning ticket,Â? said Albert. Â?When I found out it wasnÂ?t my ticket, but the wifeÂ?s family had won I was just as happy.Â?
Georges Beaulieu confirmed he and his wife have never been lucky enough to win money or any other substantial prize and winning this big house is going to make their retirement years much easier.
Â?We live in a small house (in the Flour Mill)Â?maybe weÂ?ll buy something a little bit bigger,Â? he said.
His wife said she didnÂ?t believe her daughter when she first told her about the winning ticket.
Â?I was in a state of shock,Â? she said. Â?My legs started trembling and I had a tough time standing up.
Â?When Patsy told us we had the winning ticket, my God was I happy. This is the first time anything like this has happened in our family.Â?
After they sell the winning home and split the cash, life is definitely going to be easier for her husband and her, said Beaulieu.
Â?This is sort of like winning the lottery,Â? she said. Â?We life a very modest life, but hopefully this money is going to allow us to make things a little bit easier over the next few years.Â?
The winning home Â?is just gorgeous, actually breathtakingÂ? and the family should have no problem selling it on the open market, said Patsy.
John Cole, president of the Sudbury Kinsmen Club, said itÂ?s wonderful the winning ticket was purchased by a family who will really benefit from it.
Â?I havenÂ?t had the chance to meet the Beaulieu family, but itÂ?s my understanding the winning prize has gone to very worthy people,Â? he said.
This is the 21st year the Kinsmen Club has sponsored a house draw and the BeaulieuÂ?s wonÂ?t be the first family to decide to sell the winning prize, said Cole.
Â?Actually, most of our winners decide to sell it,Â? he said. Â?The good news is itÂ?s considered a lottery prize and as long as it isnÂ?t sold for more than market value, the sale will be tax free.Â?
For winners who decide to sell they home, instead of getting all the furniture and appliances, they receive a $10,000 gift certificate, said Cole.
That means the family will have to sell the home with all the furniture and appliances included in the sales price.
The house draw is by far, the biggest fundraiser for the Kinsmen Club every year and the community support remains overwhelming, said Cole.
Not only were almost all of the 6,500 tickets sold, but the response of local businesses who offer secondary prizes is tremendous, he said.
Â?We have 15 members who work on the draw and itÂ?s a huge undertaking every year,Â? he said. Â?I just canÂ?t say enough good things about our committee members.
Â?But all the work is well worth it as the proceeds go towards assisting 17 local charities, who depend on our club for funding.Â?
Without the support of the many sponsors who continue to support the draw, the club would not be able to raise as much money and help as many people and organizations as it does, said Cole.
Â?WeÂ?d like to thank every sponsor and every person who purchases a ticket,Â? he said.
