WTNH News Channel 8 / News / 1999

	Traveling Prize Patrol tracks winners to Foxwoods (Ledyard-AP) _ Sitting around a blackjack table at Foxwoods Resort Casino, Charil and Pierre Noel were feeling lucky. They were up about $200. Or so they thought. The Prize Patrol from Publishers Clearing House, with giant check in tow, tracked the New Hampshire couple from their home to tell Charil Noel she had just become the newest $100,000 sweepstakes winner. "We were doing good at the table and we were saying this is our lucky day," Charil Noel said. Shortly after 6 p.m. Friday, representatives from sweepstakes company found the Noels and presented them with balloons, flowers, champagne and a check for $100,000. But the Prize Patrol had to be a little lucky to find the couple, as well. The three-member patrol showed up hours earlier at the Noels' rented Manchester, N.H. home on Friday. They were greeted by Charil Noel's father who told them the couple had gone to Foxwoods, some 110 miles away. "It's happened before. People haven't been home, but not like this where they're a few hours away where we can find them," said Dorothy Addeo, director of contest affairs for the Port Washington, N.Y. company. The Prize Patrol got back on the road and arrived at the largest casino on the continent just before 6 p.m. Finding the Noels, if they even were in the casino, would be a challenge in a sprawling complex that draws about 50,000 people a day. Casino spokesman Bruce MacDonald quickly became a co-conspirator and tried to find the Noels without tipping them off that the sweepstakes group was hunting them. He checked the list of restaurant reservations. No luck. He called hotels to see if they booked a room. They didn't. He scrolled the database for holders of Wampum Cards, which compile casino credits. Bingo. Someone with the same last name had activated a card at a blackjack table about 3 p.m. The sweepstakes group had Cheril Noel paged and quickly learned the couple's location. It didn't take long for the Noels to realize their luck had really changed. "Oh, God. Oh, my God," a tearful Charil Noel said, embracing and kissing her husband, in front of the glare of the television cameras. "I can't believe this. I never thought it would really happen." Charil, a customer service representative for a school supplies company, and Pierre, a truck driver with the same company, have three children and said they plan to use the money to buy a home. Today's News Page. WTNH Home Page. ©1999 WTNH/WTNH-DT A LIN station.

Traveling Prize Patrol tracks winners to Foxwoods
(Ledyard-AP) _ Sitting around a blackjack table at Foxwoods Resort Casino, Charil and Pierre Noel were feeling lucky. They were up about $200. Or so they thought.

The Prize Patrol from Publishers Clearing House, with giant check in tow, tracked the New Hampshire couple from their home to tell Charil Noel she had just become the newest $100,000 sweepstakes winner.

"We were doing good at the table and we were saying this is our lucky day," Charil Noel said.

Shortly after 6 p.m. Friday, representatives from sweepstakes company found the Noels and presented them with balloons, flowers, champagne and a check for $100,000.

But the Prize Patrol had to be a little lucky to find the couple, as well.

The three-member patrol showed up hours earlier at the Noels' rented Manchester, N.H. home on Friday. They were greeted by Charil Noel's father who told them the couple had gone to Foxwoods, some 110 miles away.

"It's happened before. People haven't been home, but not like this where they're a few hours away where we can find them," said Dorothy Addeo, director of contest affairs for the Port Washington, N.Y. company.

The Prize Patrol got back on the road and arrived at the largest casino on the continent just before 6 p.m. Finding the Noels, if they even were in the casino, would be a challenge in a sprawling complex that draws about 50,000 people a day.

Casino spokesman Bruce MacDonald quickly became a co-conspirator and tried to find the Noels without tipping them off that the sweepstakes group was hunting them.

He checked the list of restaurant reservations. No luck.

He called hotels to see if they booked a room. They didn't.

He scrolled the database for holders of Wampum Cards, which compile casino credits. Bingo.

Someone with the same last name had activated a card at a blackjack table about 3 p.m. The sweepstakes group had Cheril Noel paged and quickly learned the couple's location.

It didn't take long for the Noels to realize their luck had really changed.

"Oh, God. Oh, my God," a tearful Charil Noel said, embracing and kissing her husband, in front of the glare of the television cameras. "I can't believe this. I never thought it would really happen."

Charil, a customer service representative for a school supplies company, and Pierre, a truck driver with the same company, have three children and said they plan to use the money to buy a home.

Today's News Page.

WTNH Home Page.