Duenas wins $10K at Club 200

Ben C. Duenas, third from right, poses with his $10,000 check with American Red Cross staff and executive director John Hirsh, middle, on Oct. 15, 2016, at the Fiesta Resort and Spa Saipan. (Michael T. Santos)

With just a single ticket, Lady Luck smiled on Ben C. Duenas, who went home $10,000 richer on Oct. 15 after winning the grand prize of the American Red Cross NMI Chapter’s signature fundraising event, Club 200.

Holding ticket number 1374, he made his way up to the stage just before the event came to a close to claim his unexpected win. “I still don’t believe that I won this thing. Thank God.”

When asked how he plans to use the money, Duenas said, “[Part of my winning] is going to my wife who is on medical referral off-island. So a part of the money will go to her expenses and the rest will go to my family.”

Duenas, 59, is currently self-employed. He has four kids, all of them in the U.S. mainland. To his and everyone in his family’s surprise, he managed to win the $10,000 check with only having to purchase one ticket.

The Club 200 event started on 6pm and ended on 10pm at Fiesta Resort and Spa Saipan. Master of ceremonies was Jay Sanchez and DJ was hosted by 9PM DJ. There was also a best costume contest, which ultimately had about 10 winners. This year’s Club 200 had a superhero theme and partygoers were encouraged to attend in the costume of their favorite superhero.

John Hirsh, executive director of American Red Cross NMI Chapter, said, “Tonight, there’s probably 1,200 people who came to support us, but we also had a lot of sales at the doors. There were a lot of sales that came in late afternoon and haven’t been put into our system yet so we have to just wait and see.”

Hirsh explained how 27 years ago, one of the founding board members, Juan Guerrero, came up and put this concept of 200, it eventually being a huge success with the community.

Two women were also acknowledged for their active volunteer work with ARC: Roselle Ichihara Carreon and Cerina Hwang-Youth.

Sharing her thoughts on receiving her own volunteering recognition plaque for 2016, Carreon said, “This is a real shock. I mean I really do believe in the American Red Cross organization and, when I was a little girl, my mom would take me and my little brothers and sisters to do the walkathon. Now I’m 34 years old and I still believe and participate in this wonderful organization.”

Other winners from the night are 0476, insurance and business management corporation, for two round-trip economy class tickets on Delta Air Lines to any U.S. destination with $350, $2,500 cash for ticket number 1120, Jovita Flores, and $3,000 shopping spree to any Joeten group of companies for ticket number 0214, Rowina Wesley.