charlene
01-30-2009, 09:05 AM
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090130.wwindfall30/BNStory/National/?cid=al_gam_nletter_newsUp
Toronto Man Wins Lottery
JOSH WINGROVE
From Friday's Globe and Mail
January 30, 2009 at 2:00 AM EST
Jorma Hogbacka had always been among the more memorable regulars at his favourite Tim Hortons.
For years, Mr. Hogbacka frequented the same St. Catharines, Ont., location daily, smiling and firing off catchphrases. In turn, staff took to calling him “Loganberry,” although no one quite remembers why.
“He was one of those customers that just shined whenever he walked through the door. Happy about life, happy about everything,” remembers Melissa Grivich, a Tim's staffer from 1998 to 2004.
He would also ask for help picking lottery numbers. Ms. Grivich often lent a hand, and he'd promise her a cut of any winnings.
Jorma Hogbacka made good on his pledge.
But that was years ago. Many staff have moved on. They hadn't seen him since.
That is, until this week. A lotto winner of $14.8-million, Mr. Hogbacka collected his cheque and said he'd soon be making good on a promise made years ago.
And so it was on Thursday that Ms. Grivich – now a 24-year-old police officer – again met Mr. Hogbacka, now 60 and a retired welder. She brought him one last double-double (size small) and, in exchange, he gave her $30,000.
“I still can't believe it. I'm in shock,” Ms. Grivich said.
It was Monday that Mr. Hogbacka first arrived at the headquarters for Ontario Lottery and Gaming, one of three winners in Saturday's $44.4-million Lotto 649 jackpot. Holding his cheque for $14.8-million while photographers snapped away, he danced a jig and made his pledge – to find the five Tim Hortons staff who'd always gotten his order right.
“I always knew I would win,” he said at the time. “I promised them, but do you think they believed me?”
Mr. Hogbacka didn't waste any time. He jotted down five first names and the list made its way to the owner of the Tim Hortons at 333 Ontario St., his old haunt. The owner then dug through employment records to find the five former employees, and started calling.
“I think he reached a couple of them, and said, ‘Look, call this guy,'” said Rachel Douglas, a Tim Hortons spokeswoman.
Ms. Grivich had seen Mr. Hogbacka on television Monday.
“I just said, I recognize that guy. I used to serve him coffee,” she said on Thursday. “He was hilarious, this guy. He used to come in all the time and order a ‘small double-double without the trouble.' And as soon as he'd leave, whatever day it was, he'd say have a super Monday after Sunday.”
Mr. Hogbacka tracked her down and they met around 4 p.m. on Thursday. She gave him the coffee, they hugged, and he handed her a cheque.
“I just said, ‘You're my godsend,'” she said. “I still think I'm in a dream. It's just unbelievable.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Hogbacka is keeping a low profile. He told Ms. Grivich that he was going to buy himself a BMW, and Ms. Douglas says the company is trying to track down the rest of his favourite five.
Speculation is running wild among other former co-workers, who wonder whether they're one of the lucky ones he remembers.
“I want to call him and find out,” said Teresa D'Orazio, 25, another former Tim Hortons employee who works in retail.
“We had joked around about it many times. He had promised, ‘Oh, I'll share with you.' Just joking around with him. And I was just joking around back. Didn't think anything of it. And now all of this is happening, and I'm just curious who his five are. If I'm one of them, that's amazing.”
Toronto Man Wins Lottery
JOSH WINGROVE
From Friday's Globe and Mail
January 30, 2009 at 2:00 AM EST
Jorma Hogbacka had always been among the more memorable regulars at his favourite Tim Hortons.
For years, Mr. Hogbacka frequented the same St. Catharines, Ont., location daily, smiling and firing off catchphrases. In turn, staff took to calling him “Loganberry,” although no one quite remembers why.
“He was one of those customers that just shined whenever he walked through the door. Happy about life, happy about everything,” remembers Melissa Grivich, a Tim's staffer from 1998 to 2004.
He would also ask for help picking lottery numbers. Ms. Grivich often lent a hand, and he'd promise her a cut of any winnings.
Jorma Hogbacka made good on his pledge.
But that was years ago. Many staff have moved on. They hadn't seen him since.
That is, until this week. A lotto winner of $14.8-million, Mr. Hogbacka collected his cheque and said he'd soon be making good on a promise made years ago.
And so it was on Thursday that Ms. Grivich – now a 24-year-old police officer – again met Mr. Hogbacka, now 60 and a retired welder. She brought him one last double-double (size small) and, in exchange, he gave her $30,000.
“I still can't believe it. I'm in shock,” Ms. Grivich said.
It was Monday that Mr. Hogbacka first arrived at the headquarters for Ontario Lottery and Gaming, one of three winners in Saturday's $44.4-million Lotto 649 jackpot. Holding his cheque for $14.8-million while photographers snapped away, he danced a jig and made his pledge – to find the five Tim Hortons staff who'd always gotten his order right.
“I always knew I would win,” he said at the time. “I promised them, but do you think they believed me?”
Mr. Hogbacka didn't waste any time. He jotted down five first names and the list made its way to the owner of the Tim Hortons at 333 Ontario St., his old haunt. The owner then dug through employment records to find the five former employees, and started calling.
“I think he reached a couple of them, and said, ‘Look, call this guy,'” said Rachel Douglas, a Tim Hortons spokeswoman.
Ms. Grivich had seen Mr. Hogbacka on television Monday.
“I just said, I recognize that guy. I used to serve him coffee,” she said on Thursday. “He was hilarious, this guy. He used to come in all the time and order a ‘small double-double without the trouble.' And as soon as he'd leave, whatever day it was, he'd say have a super Monday after Sunday.”
Mr. Hogbacka tracked her down and they met around 4 p.m. on Thursday. She gave him the coffee, they hugged, and he handed her a cheque.
“I just said, ‘You're my godsend,'” she said. “I still think I'm in a dream. It's just unbelievable.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Hogbacka is keeping a low profile. He told Ms. Grivich that he was going to buy himself a BMW, and Ms. Douglas says the company is trying to track down the rest of his favourite five.
Speculation is running wild among other former co-workers, who wonder whether they're one of the lucky ones he remembers.
“I want to call him and find out,” said Teresa D'Orazio, 25, another former Tim Hortons employee who works in retail.
“We had joked around about it many times. He had promised, ‘Oh, I'll share with you.' Just joking around with him. And I was just joking around back. Didn't think anything of it. And now all of this is happening, and I'm just curious who his five are. If I'm one of them, that's amazing.”