With a crescendo of the iconic “Jaws” soundtrack and a burst of confetti, a beaming Lowell man became a million dollars richer on the Vineyard this weekend.
Dave Ouellette was the million-dollar grand prize winner of a “Jaws”-themed lottery game on Sunday afternoon at the Martha’s Vineyard Film Center, the culmination of a trip hosted by the Massachusetts Lottery and Georgia-based game-events agency Atlas Experiences.
After the winning selection, Ouellette shouted “Yes!” with a tight fist by his waist, pointing to the other contestants who were sharing in his excitement. He and his wife Lynn shared a kiss onstage after receiving the giant grand prize check.
“I’m feeling absolutely terrific, very excited,” Ouellette told The Times just after confetti had rained down on him.
And what’s in store for the Ouellette family now with a fresh infusion of cash? Ouellette said first a new vehicle, maybe some remodeling to his home, and the rest will be invested.
“I’m retiring in Salisbury next year. Could be this year now,” Ouellette said with a chortle.
Ouellette was one of 30 contestants to participate in the game show, who were all selected through “second chance” lotteries as part of the “Jaws” lottery game, which included a trip to the Vineyard. In the first phase of the “Jaws” lottery, a Tisbury painter won $1 million from a scratch ticket. The scratch tickets coincided with the 50th anniversary of the classic blockbuster.
Sunday’s event consisted of two rounds, in which contestants selected numbered panels on a screen for prizes. In the first round, contestants were awarded between $500 and $5,000 for selections, while two finalists advanced to the second phase for a chance to win the grand prize of $1 million. The first to pick five “money barrels” during the final round would win.
Aside from Ouellette, Joe Candido from Quincy also advanced to the second round, and took home $10,000.
Contestants chose lucky numbers and birthday numbers, and some picked purely with their gut. In the very first pick of the afternoon, Candido advanced to the final round after picking No. 16, a random selection. Later, Ouellette went to the final round after picking No. 11. He told The Times that he had heard a child yell the number 11 “clear as day … out of nowhere” at the pool at the Harbor View Hotel in Edgartown when he was pondering aloud what number he should pick.
Perhaps it also helped that Ouellette was given seat 13, which he said was his lucky number.
“Once they gave me seat 13, I turned to my wife and said, ‘We’ve got this,’” Ouellette told The Times.
While taking turns choosing tiles to turn over for a money barrel or an explosive “miss,” Ouellette maintained the lead throughout the game. Other contestants shouted encouragement and suggested numbers to Candido.
“It was tough, I tell you,” Candido said. “I thought it was going to be easy, but the pressure came on, and my fans were yelling out numbers but I couldn’t hear them, and now I’ve got to live with ‘You should’ve played my number.’”
Christian Teja, a Massachusetts lottery spokesperson, said it was exciting to be the first state to have a scratch ticket lottery with “Jaws” as the theme, which some other state lotteries have also kicked off. “Where else should it be in Massachusetts?” Teja said. “Martha’s Vineyard is synonymous with the iconic film.”
Derek Gwaltney, CEO of Atlas Experiences, said this was the first time his company had collaborated with a major film franchise. “We would love to do it again,” he said.
Thirty winners and their guests were brought to the ferry from their homes by a “black car limo service,” Gwaltney said. There were also chances to win additional prizes during the trip, including $500 gift cards and $2,500 checks. The group stayed at the Harbor View Hotel while on the Island.
And while the money is great, participants also say they’ll cherish the memories created during the trip.
“We all made friends,” Candido said.