May 09, 2005

Genesis Nurse Is Planning Her Own Rides After Winning Illini Foundation Raffle

Silvis, IL – Jana Nichols had threatened her husband, Jeff, that someday she would have her own motorcycle since she didn’t get to ride with him very often.

Until Monday, it was an idle threat. Monday morning Nichols found out that she was the grand prize winner of a new Harley Davidson V-Rod in the Illini Hospital Foundation drawing.

“Jeff doesn’t take me riding too much so I kept saying I would get my own bike. I said last year that I was going to take classes to learn to ride. He didn’t take my threat seriously until Monday,’’ said Nichols, who works in the BirthCenter at Genesis Medical Center, East Rusholme Street. “I never expected to win. I’ve never won anything.’’

Nichols bought five raffles tickets for $100 to enter the drawing. She found out from co-workers that she had won.  “I got a call from the unit and they asked if I’d heard who won the Harley. I said I hadn’t and asked if they knew who won. They said, ‘you did.’’’

Nichols, who lives in Milan, said she hasn’t rode a motorized bike by herself since she rode mini-bikes when she was a kid.

Angela Winkel won the second prize of $250. Chester Egger won the third prize of $100.

All proceeds from the ticket sales will be donated toward the purchase of a Gamma Camera at Genesis Medical Center, Illini Campus.