Club 200's Dread

Joeten Motors won big bucks ($15,000) during recently held American Red Cross Club 200. Ms. Frances Demapan went up the stage and in utter ecstasy for winning the grand prize announced to the audience that Joeten Motors bigwigs would agree with her that the prize money should be given back to Red Cross [for its community services].

To Joeten Motors officials' surprise, Red Cross decided to redraw a new winner because Joeten Motors decided to give it back. Witnesses saw the Joeten Motors officials' faces and looked at each other in utter surprise, but did not show it.

According to Red Cross, people that bought a $100 ticket that night hoped to win the prizes; thus, the civic group redrew the raffle for the grand prize.

Joeten Motors might have meant to donate the prize money to Red Cross immediately but still would claim the name as the winner. They donated the money to Red Cross because they knew that Red Cross needs money to fill all its services. Shouldn't Red Cross have consulted the winner first if it was okay to redraw the grand prize, when Joeten Motors meant to donate the money to Red Cross. It was luck that they won. They bought tickets too. It's sheer luck but I guess Joeten doesn't need more dough, right? Joeten Motors should have taken the money instead then give it to its Joeten Charitable Foundation to give to more deserving entities in the CNMI.

The new winner, though, they say deserves the prize money to help pay for hospital expenses of a member of the family. Hmmm...in this case....oh well.