unimaginative2
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A promise paid in poultry
A lotto-winning butcher makes good on his vow to give away a trailer load of chicken
MEGAN GRITTANI-LIVINGSTON
The Globe and Mail
April 4, 2008
For the past 10 years, every time Jose Lima bought a lottery ticket, he made a promise to God. If he won, he said, he promised to give each of the employees in Nosso Talho, the meat store he manages, big cheques, and to give away a trailer load of chicken legs.
One week after the 52-year-old butcher won $14.5-million in the Lotto 6/49 jackpot, he has made good on his word.
The 50 people who work at the store, which is owned by his brother, got $5,000 each, and yesterday he distributed about 60,000 pounds of free chicken to hundreds of people who formed a long queue in front of the Bloor Street West store near Dufferin Street starting before dawn.
"It's a dream ... my promise has been paid today," a beaming Mr. Lima said, standing in front of his busy meat counter as employees allowed the waiting customers into the store in groups of 20 to collect one 10-pound bag of chicken each.
In fact, the new millionaire was better than his word. When he arrived at 6:45 a.m. - as he has almost every day for the past 23 years - and saw people already lining up, Mr. Lima ordered 200 extra boxes of chicken on top of the 1,000 he had already purchased. All told, he spent about $30,000 of his millions on the trailer of meat.
Mary Da Silva, who has worked at Nosso Talho - Portuguese for "our butcher shop" - for five years, said Mr. Lima's generosity comes as no surprise. "That's just who he is. He's so overwhelmed now because he's able to do this, he's always wanted to ... give and help," she said, speaking fondly of the food Mr. Lima has given to her family at holidays, and his intercession with her bank manager three years ago that secured her house.
Yesterday's gifts weren't all accepted graciously. One man argued loudly that he should be allowed to take an extra bag of chicken for his absent child, and a Nosso Talho regular said some people tried to cut ahead of her in the line that stretched around the store all morning.
But many customers approached Mr. Lima to thank and congratulate him, and the warmth in his manner was infectious. "When I won the 6/49 eight days ago, I was happy [but] today ... today is the biggest day for me," he said.
The father of two and native of the Azores said he doesn't know yet what he'll do with the rest of the money. But he does plan to take a few days off.
A lotto-winning butcher makes good on his vow to give away a trailer load of chicken
MEGAN GRITTANI-LIVINGSTON
The Globe and Mail
April 4, 2008
For the past 10 years, every time Jose Lima bought a lottery ticket, he made a promise to God. If he won, he said, he promised to give each of the employees in Nosso Talho, the meat store he manages, big cheques, and to give away a trailer load of chicken legs.
One week after the 52-year-old butcher won $14.5-million in the Lotto 6/49 jackpot, he has made good on his word.
The 50 people who work at the store, which is owned by his brother, got $5,000 each, and yesterday he distributed about 60,000 pounds of free chicken to hundreds of people who formed a long queue in front of the Bloor Street West store near Dufferin Street starting before dawn.
"It's a dream ... my promise has been paid today," a beaming Mr. Lima said, standing in front of his busy meat counter as employees allowed the waiting customers into the store in groups of 20 to collect one 10-pound bag of chicken each.
In fact, the new millionaire was better than his word. When he arrived at 6:45 a.m. - as he has almost every day for the past 23 years - and saw people already lining up, Mr. Lima ordered 200 extra boxes of chicken on top of the 1,000 he had already purchased. All told, he spent about $30,000 of his millions on the trailer of meat.
Mary Da Silva, who has worked at Nosso Talho - Portuguese for "our butcher shop" - for five years, said Mr. Lima's generosity comes as no surprise. "That's just who he is. He's so overwhelmed now because he's able to do this, he's always wanted to ... give and help," she said, speaking fondly of the food Mr. Lima has given to her family at holidays, and his intercession with her bank manager three years ago that secured her house.
Yesterday's gifts weren't all accepted graciously. One man argued loudly that he should be allowed to take an extra bag of chicken for his absent child, and a Nosso Talho regular said some people tried to cut ahead of her in the line that stretched around the store all morning.
But many customers approached Mr. Lima to thank and congratulate him, and the warmth in his manner was infectious. "When I won the 6/49 eight days ago, I was happy [but] today ... today is the biggest day for me," he said.
The father of two and native of the Azores said he doesn't know yet what he'll do with the rest of the money. But he does plan to take a few days off.