Posted on: Wednesday, October 27, 2004

PIGSKIN PICKS
Winning surprises retiree

Advertiser Staff

When Lawrence Kam read about last week's Pigskin Picks winner in The Advertiser, he didn't think much about his chances this week.

The Kailua resident realized he had one of the 15 picks wrong, and he only put in "six or seven" ballots.

But that was good enough to be selected this week's winner of a trip for two to Las Vegas and $500.

"The winners are usually perfect, and they put like 67 entries in," said Kam, a 69-year-old retired Honolulu waterfront clerk. "It (winning) was totally unexpected."

Because no one had a perfect ballot this week, Kam's ballot was selected from those that had 14 correct. The only one he got wrong was picking Indianapolis over Jacksonville.

But he did pick previously winless Miami to upset the St. Louis Rams

"Miami is pretty tough at home, although this year I don't know," said Kam, who said he was a Rams fan before they moved to St. Louis. "But like last week's winner said you gotta pick two or three upsets."

Kam said he goes to Las Vegas with his wife Clara, "twice a year, three times if possible. It's my home away from home."

Although Kam has been retired for a few years, it's still a vacation for him.

"You don't have all this picking up leaves, take the dog out for a walk, relax, eat too much and have fun," he said.

Along with the trip for two to Las Vegas, courtesy of Worry-Free Vacations and Non-Stop Travel and the Golden Nugget Hotel, Kam receives $500 from The Advertiser. He also is entered to win a year-end prize of a free use of a Hyundai Tucson for a year, courtesy of Tony Hyundai.

Kam already knows what he's going to do with the $500.

"There's one place to go and one place to spend it," he said.