With $500 in Hometown Bucks, Chris Fortenberry is planning tospend her winnings at several local stores in an effort to bringsome holiday cheer to family members.

Fortenberry was the grand prize winner of $500 in Hometown Bucksin the sixth and final drawing in The DAILY LEADER’s annual holidaypromotion. She registered for the drawing at the Haberdashery ofBrookhaven.

With many of her King’s Daughters Medical Center co-workersregistering multiple times at several participating merchants,Fortenberry admitted to being a little suspicious when she wasnotified that her single entry had won. The nurse anesthetist saidshe called the newspaper office back to verify that she was thewinner.

“This is the only place I registered,” Fortenberry said.

Fortenberry said some of the Hometown Bucks are headed to TheCountry Fisherman as a way of thanking her father-in-law, HughFortenberry Sr., who comes up from Mount Herman, La., to baby sitwhen she has to work.

“It’s a gift certificate for Papaw,” Fortenberry said as sheheld her youngest son Tyler, six months, and Trey, 2, inspected TheHaberdashery’s Christmas decorations Thursday.

Fortenberry’s husband, Hugh, is in Florida attending anesthetistschool. Fortenberry said she would like to use some of her winningsat the clothing store to have a welcome home gift for her husbandwhen he returns to Brookhaven the day after Christmas.

And Fortenberry has not forgotten her children.

“We may get some happys for them at the children’s stores,”Fortenberry said.

Fortenberry, though, will have make some quick decisions as theHometown Bucks must be used before Christmas Eve.

“I’m going to get someone to babysit the kids and go shop for afew hours,” Fortenberry said.

Hometown Bucks can be spent at Betty Ann’s, Brookhaven Sports,Brookwood Gifts and Antiques, Country Fisherman, Engravables,Expectations, The Haberdashery of Brookhaven, Millane’s Gift &Bridal Registry, NetSouth, Shipps Flowers, Sisters By Design, SmithBrothers Collision Center & Truck Accessories, The Posey Placeand T.H. Perkins Furniture. Shoppers were able register for thedrawings at those participating businesses, as well as Bank ofBrookhaven, State Bank and Trustmark.