Lady Luck smiled down on the Vega Baja region, as the first prize in the National Lottery draw was awarded in Rojales, where one of the winning tickets was sold. The draw, which took place on Saturday, May 9, resulted in the winning ticket number 21,254, worth €600,000 per series, meaning €60,000 per ticket.

Rojales’ lucky locals: Major prize awarded in the Costa Blanca South municipality

The winning ticket was sold at the lottery administration located at Calle Valentín Fuster, Number 16 in the Costa Blanca municipality of Rojales. Apart from the jaw-dropping sum, the awarding of this prize was especially significant for the administration: this was the first major prize it has distributed since 2022, the year in which it distributed the second prize of the National Lottery in the Thursday draw.

How the Spanish National Lottery works

In Spain, the Thursday National Lottery tickets, called décimos, are sold for €3 each on average, and the first prize is usually €30,000. The Saturday National Lottery tickets are more varied, ranging anywhere in price from €6, to €20, and can produce a prize ranging from €60,000 to €120,000 for whoever is lucky enough to snag the winning ticket.

Other major prizes awarded this year on the Costa Blanca

This is far from the first time that residents have struck gold on the Costa Blanca. Earlier this year, a Benidorm lottery office struck gold twice in just four days. The winning ticket number, 46,705, was awarded the second prize of the National Lottery on January 10, worth a jaw-dropping €300,000 per number, and was sold at El Racó de La Sort, located on one of Benidorm’s main tourist and commercial arteries.

This exciting award came just four days after the same outlet sold winning tickets for the first prize of the El Niño draw, making it the second major prize in less than a week for the lottery office.

Residents in Pilar de la Horadada will benefit from a new community wellbeing initiative, aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles (both physical and emotional) and social connection among the neighbours. The “Pilar Takes Care” programme (“El Pilar se cuida”) has been launched by the Pilar de la Horadada Town Hall’s Department of Health, and is part of a wider plan to improve health and wellbeing in the Community of Valencia.

Combining physical and emotional wellbeing in Pilar de la Horadada

The programme involves emotional wellbeing workshops in combination with guided walking routes, which will encourage residents to stay active, stay in touch with their mental health, and find a balance for their overall wellbeing. 

The workshops will aim to educate different population groups about managing emotions, self-care, how to reduce stress, how to improve social relationships, and how to foster coexistence in the community. The walks, on the other hand, will offer a fun challenge that people of all fitness levels will be able to take part in. The workshops will reinforce the idea that physical and mental health are often inseparable, and encourage the community to stay active.

A free programme to respond to a need for balance in the community

The programme was developed in response to last year’s health diagnosis findings in the municipality, which showed that emotional wellbeing was a growing priority for the citizens of Pilar de la Horadada and in the whole of Valencia. 

The activities in the programme will be free of charge and open to the public, and specific details about where and when the individual workshops will take place will be announced through the official communication channels of the Pilar de la Horadada Town Hall in the coming weeks.

The Pilar de la Horadada Town Council hopes that the initiative will inspire residents to take care of both their minds and bodies in a holistic approach to health, and that the residents will be provided with all the tools they need to manage their stress, find a balance in their lives, and stay active in their communities and neighbourhoods.

Younger and older residents of Pilar de la Horadada enjoyed a day of connection, fun, and bonding during the “Connecting Generations” workshop, a whole day where grandparents and grandchildren could spend time together, form intergenerational bonds, and have fun on a trip along the idyllic Costa Blanca. The workshop was organised by the Pilar de la Horadada Departments for Senior Citizens and Youth, and was a booming success.

Chocolate, a stroll along the Costa, and a family game night: The perfect day out

The day began with a visit to the local chocolatier shop, Chocolates Marcos Tonda, where the participants learned about the process of making chocolate. The experience included a tasting, and the families left with their sweet tooth satisfied.

Afterward, the group travelled along the Costa Blanca to Villajoyosa, with a stroll along the promenade to admire the beauty of this iconic and colourful town. There, the group had a delicious lunch and spent time together in a relaxed and humorous atmosphere.

The day continued in the Costa Blanca capital of Alicante, where the intergenerational group visited a modern and interactive museum. The group traversed the various exhibits, having fun as the younger visitors guided their grandparents through the interesting showcases.

Finally, the workshop concluded in Torrellano with a communal meal in the evening, complete with a game night. The game was heavily inspired by Spanish television programme Pasapalabra, and involved questions about Pilar de la Horadada. The questions, in keeping with the intergenerational theme, mixed modern and traditional questions. There was also a dance, where the grandparents and grandchildren shared the dance floor.

Success of this edition and upcoming initiatives to connect generations on the Costa

During the event, the participants received commemorative scarves labeled “Connecting Generations,” as well as a souvenir bottle to remember the fun of the day.

With the success and high participation of this edition, Pilar de la Horadada officials have already expressed intent to continue promoting similar initiatives and inspire intergenerational connection. It was a beautiful day along the Costa Blanca that strengthened interaction between younger and older residents of the town, and formed lasting family and social bonds.