Gasparillo man drives away with new BMW

Neil Ramroop, of Gasparillo, drove away yesterday in a brand-new BMW 116 valued at $280,000 after emerging the winner of the Grand Bazaar Jingle Beamer Bells Shop and Win Promotion. The competition began on October 26 last year and ended on December 24. Customers who spent more than $30 at any of the City of Grand Bazaar stores received an entry form and 53 prizes were awarded every week during the eight-week-long competition.

At the competition’s finale, which was hosted in the Grand Bazaar carpark, representatives of Grand Bazaar described the promotion as a “super success,” adding that it attracted shoppers from across Trinidad and received more than 225,000 entries. Ramroop, who said he was still in disbelief at having won the shiny red car, received the keys from assistant sales manager for BMW Robert Sumairsingh.

He took some time to look at the car before getting into the driver’s seat and examining its interior. “I think this seat was made just for me,” Ramroop joked. He said he was at home doing the laundry when he received the news that he had been selected as the winner. Ramroop said he initially thought the announcement was a prank and he still could not believe he had won the top prize.

He submitted two contest entry forms after making purchases at the Pennywise Cosmetics Ltd outlet in Grand Bazaar. Jason John, of Belmont, was second in the competition and collected  a Victoria Bell living room suite, courtesy Standard Distributors.

And Christine Samuel Mitchell, of Chaguanas, received the third prize of a Sony 46-inch LCD flatscreen television. She received her prize from the manager of Standard at Grand Bazaar, Dolores Marcelle.