Though it is not a golden ticket that The DAILY LEADER ispassing out, the loot to be won from the annual Hometown ChristmasBucks promotion has helped to put a little sparkle in the eyes ofwinning local shoppers.

With Betty Lofton being the first to feel the luck of the drawat Trustmark National Bank in Lincoln Plaza, the shopping spreesweepstakes has only just begun. Lofton won a handful of DAILYLEADER dollars, $75 to be exact, that she can spend at any of theparticipating businesses in the area.

At first Lofton, 70, thought it was a joke, she said.

“I hadn’t really won anything (before),” Lofton said of herinitial shock.

She said she plans to put the dough back into the economy. Andthis time she is spending the green and yellow paper on herself,after completing her Christmas shopping on her husband, Aaron, herthree children, seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildrenwith one more on the way.

“With Christmas coming up, I wouldn’t have enough to spend on meanyway,” Lofton said.

At Vendor’s Emporium, also located in Lincoln Plaza, Trudy Greenwas second to win in the promotion. She wants to use her winningsto help the needy.

” I don’t need anything for myself. I feel that I am blessed,”Green said.

Green, 51, plans to stuff more boxes for Operation ChristmasChild, a charity that provides holiday cheer to needy childrenthrough the Samaritan’s Purse , an affiliate of Billy Graham’sministries. This is something that she does every Christmas throughher church Central Baptist.

She said she challenges herself to do more boxes each year.

Donating Hometown Christmas Bucks to a charity of your choicemust be done through local merchants, said David Culpepper,advertising director at The DAILY LEADER.

Culpepper said that altogether, the newspaper-sponsoredpromotion will be handing out $1,250, with two weekly drawings of$75 totaling to 10 drawings. The promotion will also reward $250 tothe pockets of two grand prize winners.

Though he can’t take credit for initiating the promotion,Culpepper is proud to carry on the tradition since it is beneficialfor the local economy.

“It supports our local economy which is made up of our localbusinesses. Without them we have no town, no community,” he said,pointing out the local impact felt by dollars spent at home by thetown’s populace.

Shoppers may enter the contest by filling out forms atparticipating businesses through Dec. 16.

Participating businesses include Sisters by the Design, LegacyToyota, Bebe’s, Macy Taylor, The UPS store, Growin’ GreenLandscape, The Finishing Touch, Vendor’s Emporium, Snap Fitness,Blue Heaven, Smith Jewelry, Brookhaven Honda, J.Jams, Ables, Bankof Brookhaven, Furniture Factory Outlet, Gad’s, Betty Ann’s, T.H.Perkins Furniture Co., Trustmark National Bank and BerthaFlowers.

DAILY LEADER employees and their families are ineligible toenter. And participants must also be 18 years of age or older toregister.