Prayer works in draw - SPORTING CHANCE by Joaquin M. Henson

Ramon Noel, a Catholic lay minister, prayed over his 12 entries before sending them to The STAR offices for the recent No. 1 Contest which offered a host of big prizes to 10 lucky winners for guessing the top pick in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) draft this year.

For Noel, it was his first time to join a send-in contest of this sort. His son Arturo, a La Salle biology graduate and a third year medical student at Perpetual Help, urged him to try his luck. Noel has another child, a daughter, taking up medicine. His youngest, Jouard, is a freshman Math major at La Salle.

Six of Noel’s entries named Willie Miller. Another six named John Arigo.

Over 25,000 entries flooded The STAR lobby in the biggest ever response to a contest organized by the sports staff. Noel said the Lord blessed him with the winning entry.

Noel came to claim his prizes at The STAR office last Tuesday. He was accompanied by his son Jouard, a rabid basketball fan.

Noel, 54, finished his Liberal Arts and Commerce combined course at La Salle in 1969. He was employed by Dupont Pharmaceuticals and now markets herbal products. His wife Lynne works in Justice Art Panganiban’s office at the Supreme Court.

Noel took home a boxful of goodies — a Talk-N-Text cellphone from Mobiline, an Adidas indoor/outdoor basketball, a San Miguel Corp. wristwatch, a Nike basketball T-shirt, a Nike stress ball, an RFM groceries basket, an Alaska autographed basketball, a Converse cap, a Purefoods fisherman’s cap, a Red Bull basketball, a Red Bull collared shirt, a big San Miguel sports bag, a San Mig Light jacket, an Adidas soccer ball, a San Mig Light T-shirt, 10 bottles of Shark energy drink, a Shark collared shirt, and a P5,000 gift certificate from USA Sports.