The wait was worth it for an Aberdeenshire pensioner who yesterday picked up a brand new car which she won in a raffle on Christmas Eve.
Marilyn Fraser, from Stonehaven, was “delighted” when she learned that she was the new owner of a Volkswagen Polo which was being raffled off to raise money for the Archie Foundation.
But the 75-year-old needed to get her son, who works offshore, to give her a lift into Aberdeen to collect the prize.
And it was only yesterday that she was able to pick up the keys and get behind the wheel of her new motor.
Mrs Fraser said winning the vehicle has been a spot of welcome relief at the end of a tough year.
She said: “I was so taken aback as I have never won anything in my life.
“Last year was quite hard as my husband has been diagnosed with dementia and it is progressing quite rapidly, so it was a lovely surprise.”
Mrs Fraser bough the ticket at a flea market in Stonehaven, and beat 43,000-1 odds to win.
The charity raffle was the result of 24 of Aberdeen’s rotary clubs banding together to raise funds for the Archie Foundation.
Their combined efforts allowed them to present the children’s charity with a cheque of £27,800.
This year’s donation marks the 20th time that the Granite City’s rotary clubs have come together to raise money for a deserving charity.
Chairman of the organisation committee for the car raffle, Alan Pirie, said: “The first time we all came together was to raise money for the children’s hospital when it was being built.
“This type of collaboration between rotary clubs is unique to Aberdeen and the north-east, we have all worked together since Easter weekend till Christmas Eve, work that I am very proud of.”
David Wood, chief executive of the Archie Foundation, said: “The amount of money the rotary clubs have raised is absolutely fantastic, the support they offer makes a huge difference to what we do and allows us to give more support to sick children in Grampian.”
