I wouldn’t consider myself a lucky person when it comes to chance. The few times I have been to the casinos, I lost all my quarters in a matter of minutes.

Lottery tickets have not paid out nor has the Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes or the HGTV Dream Home giveaway.

However, there was one time my luck prevailed.

More than a decade ago, I got a call from Kim Hopkins, who was then and remains the executive director of the Vicksburg Main Street program.

She was informing me my name had been drawn in the Gifts Under the Tree downtown raffle and wondered if she could come by with all of them.

Of course, I said yes.

Winning something as big as this had never happened to me before and I really didn’t know what to think.

But as soon as I opened the door and saw her standing there with an armload of presents, I didn’t have to ponder; I just welcomed her in with the loot.

I was downtown Christmas shopping when I entered the drawing and had actually forgotten all about it until the call came.

It was crazy, all I had done to win was sign up for the raffle at one of downtown’s participating stores, and it cost nothing.

Since it has been quite a few years ago when I was the recipient of the passel of presents, I have to admit I don’t remember everything I won, however, I do remember what I was wearing.

It was a cream-colored velour tracksuit.

I know it’s crazy that memory has hung on after all these years.

I guess it’s just a girl thing to recall the outfit you were wearing on momentous occasions!

Sunday, downtown will be hosting their annual holiday open house and they still have the Gifts Under the Tree raffle.

You can sign up at any participating store through Sunday, and all you have to do is fill out an entry form with your name and telephone number. That’s so if you win they can reach you.

You can also enter as many times as you like, and I doubt it would bother any of the merchants if you made several shopping trips to their store.

Although it would probably be a fluke if I won for a second time, I plan to put my name in for the drawing.

I mean what have I got to lose?

 

Terri Cowart Frazier is a staff writer of The Vicksburg Post. She can be reached at terri.frazier@vicksburgpost.com.