Cape Broyle fish plant worker William Dominix, left, is donating a portion of his Chase the Ace winnings to his co-worker Jayson Velasquez Aldave, right, from the Philippines to go towards his daughter’s cancer treatment.
By Olivia Bradbury / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
It was a happy and profitable birthday for one Belleoram man last week.
The Chase the Ace lottery in Cape Broyle had reached its forty-first week when, on September 1st, William Dominix turned over the winning card, the ace of spades.
Dominix received both the consolation prize of $3,462 and the game’s jackpot of $37,299, amounting to $40,761 in total winnings.
Dominix, who hails from Belleoram on the island’s south coast, has worked seasonally at the fish plant in Cape Broyle for 16 years. He travels between the two towns, a drive that takes more than six hours on average.
“I took work in Cape Broyle because there wasn’t any work elsewhere,” Dominix said. “And the people I met were great and that’s what kept me coming back.”
The Chase the Ace lottery is run by the local church committee, which managed to buy Immaculate Conception Church back during a court-ordered auction of Roman Catholic properties in Newfoundland last year. The lottery is held at Riverside Lounge every Sunday with a new game expected to start in October.
Dominix said he wasn’t a regular player of the lottery. In fact, September 1 was only his third time buying a ticket. He had not been planning to go since he was celebrating his birthday at his Southern Shore quarters, but his wife convinced him to do so.
“She insisted because it was my birthday and my lucky day,” Dominix said. “I think she’s psychic.”
Joking about his wife’s extra sensory perception aside, Dominix said winning that day felt like it was meant to be, even before he picked the card.
“It was like I knew,” said Dominix. “I knew where it was and without any hesitation I put my finger on the card.”
As for what he will do with the money, Dominix said he would like to buy a truck.
And he will also keep a promise.
Dominix had told his friend and fellow plant worker, Jayson Velasquez Aldave of the Philippines, that if he won Chase the Ace he would give Aldave $2,000 to put towards his daughter’s cancer treatment.
“I’m true to my word,” Dominix said.
