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Saturday, April 25, 2009 Couple wins $500,000Los Lunas Albertson's in Los Lunas gave away half a million dollars Friday afternoon to an Albuquerque couple who won a Monopoly game grand prize. Patricio and Pamela Sanchez are the winners of Albertson's Monopoly Grand Prize of $500,000. "I just want to thank all the Albertson's and especially the Los Lunas branch and the branch at Isleta and Rio Bravo," Patricio Sanchez said before a crowd of Albertson's shoppers. "I especially want to thank God," Sanchez said, choking up. "This is the best thing." The couple lives in the South Valley of Albuquerque, traveling to the Albertson's in Los Lunas and the Albertson's in the valley to do their shopping. Sanchez, who works as a janitor, said that he and his wife started playing the Monopoly game and collecting pieces right when it started about nine weeks ago. He said he realized he had collected all the pieces necessary to win the grand prize and took it to the Los Lunas Albertson's to make sure he was correct. "It was amazing to be able to present the winners with a prize like this, a prize that you know is going to change their lives," said Los Lunas Albertson's Store Director Lisa Goodman. Goodman, who has been at the Los Lunas location for a year and a half, was there the day the Sanchezes came in. She said it was exciting to get a page that the store had a potential grand prizewinner. Goodman said when the store started the Monopoly game nine weeks ago, she told her staff that it was going to be exciting to be able to reward shoppers for shopping with the store. "I said, 'wouldn't it be great if someone from New Mexico won? And wouldn't it be even better is someone from our store won?'" Goodman said. This is one of two $500,000 grand prizes. There's still a chance of another winner. Customers are able to get Monopoly pieces by purchasing certain items from the store. With each Monopoly item, costumers get a game piece. District manager Tom Houston said it's not at all uncommon for a customer to walk out of store after one shopping visit with 50 to 100 game pieces. Albertson's LLC is a chain of grocery stores all over Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. Houston said that there about 220 stores between the four states with all of them participating in the monopoly game. Houston and other district manager Chris Bengston said that they were both surprised and pleased that a grand prizewinner was from New Mexico, and especially Los Lunas. "What a deserving couple," Bengston said. "They have been Albertson's shoppers for years. It could not have happened to a better group." In addition to this grand prize, Bengston said that the Albertson's stores in New Mexico have given away several LCD -HD televisions, seven-day cruises, a $5,000 gas card, Apple iPods and, most recently, a Chrysler 300 valued at $25,000 in Albuquerque. "It gives folks here a lot of hope (that they could win too) because it's happened right here in New Mexico," Bengston said. Presented with a check during a celebration Friday afternoon, Sanchez said that this surprise couldn't have come at a better time with the difficult economic situation. "It came at a time where it's really going to help us. I wish everyone could win this," he said. The couple has four children and eight grandchildren ranging in ages from 2 to 10 who were present at the celebration. They said that they plan on using the money to pay bills after they take the family on a trip to Disney Land. The Sanchezes do their primary shopping at Albertson's because they say they like the friendly atmosphere, the sales and because Sanchez admits he likes the sweets. "It's a happy, happy day. We're very excited. It's a dream come true," Sanchez said.
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