By Tom Thompson
PORT ANGELES — When a car fell from the sky in the form of a golf ball Saturday to name the winner in the Helicopter Hole In One fund-raiser for the Port Angeles Skate Park, the numbers on the ball led to the right name — but not the true winner.
Tina Breen’s name was attached to the winning ball, indicating she was the winner of a restored 1975 Toyota Celica as the grand prize in the helicopter drop.
But she had given the ticket to a co-worker friend, Sarah Clapshaw, the night before at a New Year’s Eve party.
The deep shiny brown paint, fully restored upholstery and chrome wheel covers could not match the brilliant smile Clapshaw wore as she picked up the car at Wilder Toyota on Monday.
Clapshaw, a waitress at the Landing’s Restaurant where Breen works, is the mother of two young girls, Deidre, 6, and Kathryn, 2.
She couldn’t praise her friend’s generosity enough.
“There’s been a lot of hugging going on,” Clapshaw said.
“We’re both pretty happy. She’s a good lady who is definitely on my Christmas list this year.”
She needed a car
Breen couldn’t agree more: “She doesn’t have a car, she really needed it.”
Breen gave Clapshaw two tickets from the raffle that her husband, Mike, had given to her to support the skate park.
Clapshaw had also bought two tickets on her own, but it was the ticket with Tina Breen’s name on it that won.
But when she was contacted by sponsors, the numbers on her stubs didn’t match.
That’s when she realized that it was Clapshaw who had won.
Clapshaw was so needy for a car after hers broke down two months ago, she only had minimal prerequisites for the vehicle.
“All I cared about is that it had four tires, goes forward and stops. That’s all I needed it to do,” Clapshaw said.
“Now, I’m jacked! It’s such a cute little car.”
