How This Newton Woman Won A Trip To The Super Bowl

NEWTON, MA — Raffles can be so tempting, but does anyone ever win?

Well, at least one happy Newton resident can attest, they do. For Susan Calcagni, it started with a raffle at the West Suburban YMCA in Newton, and it ended with a call that left her ecstatic - and going to the Super Bowl to watch the Pats face off against the Falcons.

Calcagni plans to take her younger brother Aldo with her, according to the Y.

The raffle was part of an annual campaign to raise money to help local families sign up for YMCA memberships, programs and summer camps. The Y raised $20,000 in just five days by inviting Y members to buy a $100 Super Bowl raffle for the nonprofit's Annual Fund.

The Y purchased a package now in the hands of Calcagni. This includes two tickets to Super Bowl 53, nonstop airline tickets to match and three nights at a Hyatt in Atlanta, ground transportation and a pregame Super Bowl brunch from a local Sports Tour company.

The West Suburban Y hadn't done anything like this before, but a Y in Peabody had and the folks in Newton figured they'd give it a shot.

The bought the special tour package, and then planned to sell 300 $100 tickets. They picked the winner live Tuesday.

"Her reaction was hysterical," said Lisa LaVallee of the West Suburban Y. "She's a Superfan, for sure."

Calcagni had heard about the raffle from a friend and figured she'd give it a shot. But when she got the news that she'd actually won? Well, it appears to have made her day.

It also made the folks at the Y smile to hear her enthusiasm.

The YMCA raises money year round to help those who might have difficulty affording the programs they offer. But, said LaValle, $20,000 is a significant chunk of what we raise over the course of the year.

"We're giving out a lot more financial assistance because we're being asked a lot more," said LaValle.

Photo courtesy West Suburban YMCA