Library employee hits $26,000 jackpot
By: Case Nafziger
Issue date: 11/21/08 Section: Features
You can buy a lot of GCBs with $26,000, but Connie Cree, manager of access services at Roy O. West Library, has other plans for her recent winnings.
On Oct. 30, Cree took a vacation day to go to a couples' retreat at French Lick Resort Casino in French Lick, Ind. It ended up being a well-paid vacation, as she won $26,000 on a $1.80 slot machine.
The machine was called the "Triple Diamond." To win, each of three slots had to spin and land on a diamond. Cree sat down at the machine and won within five minutes.
"The first diamond dropped, and I went, 'Oh, that's cool.' Then the second one dropped, and I said, 'Well this is pretty cool.' But I didn't really think anything of it. The third one dropped, and I just kind of stared for a second. I was stunned," Cree said.
She recalled the woman next to her telling her she had just won the jackpot.
"I screamed several times," Cree said. "Within seconds a big marquee lit up. It immediately said 'Winner.' Then the officials came out."
Cree was decked out in cowboy garb because it was a Western-themed retreat. She had her picture taken in a cowboy hat and red bandana.
Coincidentally, the person who took her picture is a DePauw alumnus, Rob Denbo '93, who works as the supervisor of Slot Operations at the casino.
Denbo gave Cree a card in congratulations, advising her to "Enjoy many GCBs at Marvin's."
Cree and her husband, Tim, spent some of the winnings that same night at the casino.
"After I won the money, we gambled with it a little bit," said Cree. "My husband ended up winning $9,000 playing cards."
Cree called the library that night to share her exciting news. Sophomore Emily Meyers, who was working at the time, picked up the phone.
"I couldn't even tell it was Connie at first. Hardly anyone ever calls, so it was weird when it was my boss." she said. "I picked up and she said, 'Who's this?' She told me that she had just won $26,000 at a casino in French Lick, and on the slot machines of all things," Meyers said. "I wasn't sure if I should believe her because Connie jokes a lot, but when she told me she'd bring in the check to prove it, I figured she wasn't joking."
Cree and her husband used the money to pay some bills, and Cree said she has done a lot of shopping.
The couple has also booked a trip to Puerto Morelos, Mexico.
"Connie is an extremely nice lady and a wonderful person to work for, so I couldn't be happier that she won," Meyers said.
On Oct. 30, Cree took a vacation day to go to a couples' retreat at French Lick Resort Casino in French Lick, Ind. It ended up being a well-paid vacation, as she won $26,000 on a $1.80 slot machine.
The machine was called the "Triple Diamond." To win, each of three slots had to spin and land on a diamond. Cree sat down at the machine and won within five minutes.
"The first diamond dropped, and I went, 'Oh, that's cool.' Then the second one dropped, and I said, 'Well this is pretty cool.' But I didn't really think anything of it. The third one dropped, and I just kind of stared for a second. I was stunned," Cree said.
She recalled the woman next to her telling her she had just won the jackpot.
"I screamed several times," Cree said. "Within seconds a big marquee lit up. It immediately said 'Winner.' Then the officials came out."
Cree was decked out in cowboy garb because it was a Western-themed retreat. She had her picture taken in a cowboy hat and red bandana.
Coincidentally, the person who took her picture is a DePauw alumnus, Rob Denbo '93, who works as the supervisor of Slot Operations at the casino.
Denbo gave Cree a card in congratulations, advising her to "Enjoy many GCBs at Marvin's."
Cree and her husband, Tim, spent some of the winnings that same night at the casino.
"After I won the money, we gambled with it a little bit," said Cree. "My husband ended up winning $9,000 playing cards."
Cree called the library that night to share her exciting news. Sophomore Emily Meyers, who was working at the time, picked up the phone.
"I couldn't even tell it was Connie at first. Hardly anyone ever calls, so it was weird when it was my boss." she said. "I picked up and she said, 'Who's this?' She told me that she had just won $26,000 at a casino in French Lick, and on the slot machines of all things," Meyers said. "I wasn't sure if I should believe her because Connie jokes a lot, but when she told me she'd bring in the check to prove it, I figured she wasn't joking."
Cree and her husband used the money to pay some bills, and Cree said she has done a lot of shopping.
The couple has also booked a trip to Puerto Morelos, Mexico.
"Connie is an extremely nice lady and a wonderful person to work for, so I couldn't be happier that she won," Meyers said.
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