Published: February 16, 2008 02:06 am            

PEOPLE PROFILE: Damien Brady of Lockport wins $15,000 in prizes

Damien Brady of Lockport was driving home from the University at Buffalo when 97 Rock invited listeners to participate in the Man Cave Contest.

There were lots of prizes, so the 24-year-old student used his skills as a communications major to call the Buffalo radio station. That was the first step toward winning prizes that would brighten any cave.

The next step was to attend a meeting of 97 qualifiers at Rosa’s Home Store in Cheektowaga. There was a reverse draw, and the last person would prevail, winner take all.

Brady won about $15,000 in stuff.

“I did it on a whim,” Brady said. “It was pure luck. I was lucky enough to get through.”

All 97 finalists got a cigar and traditional Buffalo Bills cap. Brady got ... more stuff than he can fit in his Pine Street apartment, which he shares with his girlfriend.

Some of the prizes won’t take any space. There’s a Myrtle Beach golf vacation for four, including three nights stay at Caravelle Resort and three rounds of championship golf from Myrtle Beach Direct Air.

Brady doesn’t get to go out on a golf course very often, but knows the game. He is a cook at the Links at Ivy Ridge in Akron. “I’m pretty good at cooking, but that’s not what I want to do,” the Lockport High School graduate said.

There are VIP seats at a Toronto Blue Jays game.

A Subway sub per week for one year and cigars for a year from Smokin’ Joe’s should go well with a fully stocked Sabres beer ’fridge. He can relax on a casual table-and-chair combo, and enjoy a "Goal Post" from Budweiser.

Brady is really enjoying an Xbox 360 video game and looking forward to getting hooked up with Time Warner to use his 42-inch high definition Plasma TV from Rosa's.

“I feel excellent. It was amazing,” he said. “Going 97 to one, you figure your number is not going to be the one.”

There’s no room for a 7-foot pool table, and Brady gave away Buffalo Bills couch.

Brady may sell some of his treasures in order to pay taxes on his prizes. He did sell the table saw.

        

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