SACRAMENTO – It’s not yet Thanksgiving but some lucky folks are giving thanks anyway for the $217,500 they won on this week’s Big Spin show. This week’s contestants, a real “Honey”, a retired math teacher, a father-to-be and a future vineyard owner, all have an extra reason to give thanks this holiday after their lucky turns on The Big Spin Show® which aired statewide Saturday, November 18, 2006.
Josephine Diego, a craftmaker from Reseda, knows that life is sweet but now is more the sweeter after her $70,000 win from the Fantasy 5 Dream Machine. Better known by her childhood nickname of “Honey”, Ms. Diego beat the approximate odds of 1 in 41,000 to face the Dream Machine. “I was so excited, I called all my relatives in Ohio right away,” she recalled. Ms. Diego plans to buy a new car and fix up her house with the winnings.
Thomas Rodgers, a retired math teacher from 
Fountain Valley, had the bouncing balls in the Dream Machine fall his way too, winning $70,000 at the Dream Machine. “My son didn’t believe I was going to be on the Big Spin show. He definitely believes it now,” said Mr. Rodgers. He plans to put the money toward fixing his house and a trip to Europe.
The two spinners of the night with a shot at $3 million each were Juan Menendez, of Burbank, and Jeronimo Pineda, of Madera. Mr. Menendez, with two daughters and a baby on the way, walked away with $30,000. He plans to pay off bills, save for a house, give to his church and take a vacation to Hawaii with his winnings. Mr. Pineda, on the other hand, has business plans for his $25,000 prize. He plans to use the money for his children’s educations and to buy a piece of land where he can grow grapes.
|
|
|
| Josephine Diego |
Reseda |
$70,000 |
| Thomas Rodgers |
Fountain Valley |
$70,000 |
| Juan Menendez |
Burbank |
$30,000 |
| Jeronimo Pindeda |
Madera |
$25,000 |
| James Beard |
Torrance |
$5,000 |
| Belinda Carbajal |
Panorama City |
$4,000 |
| Jonathan Harris |
Palmdale |
$2,500 |
| Esther Heredia |
Santa Ana |
$2,000 |
| Gerry Baldevarona |
Visalia |
$2,000 |
| Tanisha Hogan |
San Francisco |
$1,750 |
| Omar Grande |
Oakland |
$1,750 |
| Rosa Munoz |
Rialto |
$1,750 |
| Letha Spradling |
Eureka |
$1,750 |
| |
TOTAL |
$217,500 |