A 106-year-old woman wins $1,000 jackpot on her birthday. Then, the casino doubled her earnings
At a time when people are seeking longevity, celebrating one's 106th birthday is a victory in itself, but hitting the $1000 jackpot at a slot machine sweetened the moment further for Serafina Papia Peterson of Wisconsin. Peterson who lived all her life in the area is a regular at the local casino, and hence the CEO decided to double her prize as a special birthday gift, according to CBS58.
Hitting a Milestone and Jackpot at the Same Time
Last year in August, the Arboretum Retirement Community in Menomonee Falls organized a birthday celebration for Peterson, who goes by the name Sarah and turned 106 on August 23. Sarah had lived in Milwaukee all her life and she told CBS58 that her parents immigrated to the city from Sicily. She retired in 1977 from American Motors and has been living with the retirement community for a while.
As per her birthday tradition, Peterson visited the casino to try her luck at the slot machine. While she hoped to win, Peterson's niece, Marge Larson revealed that her aunt won after accidentally pressing 400 instead of the intended 50.
“All of a sudden, we see ‘jackpot,’ and we looked down and she had pressed 400 by accident instead of the 50, and the jackpot was over $1,000,” Larson told WDJT. Two days after hitting the jackpot, Peterson became a winner again when the casino’s CEO, Dominic Ortiz, doubled her winnings, KOAT reported.
“We’ve welcomed Sarah every year for her birthday and are grateful that she and her family celebrate with us,” Ortiz said in the report. The staff expressed that they wanted to make her birthday even more special.
Peterson was naturally elated about her winnings. "I’m happy to win this money,” Peterson told WISN. She added that she didn't know what she would do with the money but she wanted to make a good choice.
Peterson also mentioned that apart from the casino win, she is content with the jackpot she’s hit in life. Speaking to the outlet about her caregivers and family members, she said "They take good care of me.” Peterson shared that the key to living a long and good life for her has been the love for her family and her beloved little dog who is named 'Happy.'
"I lived a good life, I didn't drink, I didn't smoke, I didn't go to the tavern. I just lived a good life. I took good care of myself," Peterson further told KOAT.
Earlier this month, another Milwaukee woman celebrated her 100th birthday with three other centenarians. Dolores Schwabe marked the milestone with family and friends by her side at Wilson Commons, an assisted living community, much like Peterson.
While Schwabe didn't hit a jackpot at a casino, her birthday was made special by three of her friends who have also crossed the 100-year mark.
"It's not very often that you see four people who are over 100 years old in one community," Rick Roeglin, Wilson Commons executive director, told the local news outlet WISN.
