Eighteen year-old Michael Hobart wasn’t looking for “grand prizes” when he purchased a $1 scratch card to benefit the Jimmy Fund in July at a Burger King restaurant in Laconia, NH, managed by Donna Lakin and owned by Thomas Willcox, Maine Chance Corporation. He was simply doing his part to help a regional cause while on vacation. That’s why he was stunned when he scratched off the ticket and discovered he was the grand prize winner of a 2000 Hyundai Tiburon.

FranciscoGiboyeaux, eight year-old Jimmy Fund spokes-patient and one of the “Small Fries” in this year’s “A Chance for Kids” program at New England Burger Kings, helps Tom O’Brien (far right), of Tom O’Brien Hyundai in Quincy, Mass. and Burger King’s Bob Halterman (left) hand over the keys to the Grand Prize Winner 18 year-old Michael Hobart (second from left) of Abington, Mass. Hobart contributed one dollar to the Jimmy Fund at the Burger King in Laconia, NH and won this 2000 Hyundai Tiburon.

“I was totally surprised when I scratched off the card and found I had won a Hyundai. One dollar is a small gift to make for the good work that the Jimmy Fund does for people with cancer,” Hobart said.

The Abington native was handed the keys to his new Jet Black Tiburon at the Granite Street Burger King restaurant in Quincy, MA. More than 300 Burger King restaurants in New England participated in the “A Chance For Kids” program for six weeks. Burger King customers embraced the scratch off game in June and July by contributing nearly $300,000 to the Jimmy Fund.

Tom O’Brien, owner of Tom O’Brien Hyundai in Quincy, presented the keys toHobart and said, “As a partner of the Jimmy Fund, Hyundai Motor America is very proud to participate in the New England Burger King’s “A Chance for Kids” program.” Hyundai teamed up with New England Burger King restaurants as the donor of the grand prize. O’Brien added “Ten years ago when I visited the children’s ward at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, I saw the little tykes with cancer and I wanted to become more involved with helping to raise money for the Jimmy Fund.”

He has been a member of the Jimmy Fund Advisory Committee ever since. O’Brien lost his own mother to cancer and believes that the Jimmy Fund gives hope to families who are coping with the disease. Echoing O’Brien’s sentiments, Willcox owner of Maine Chance Corporation of Portsmouth, NH which operates 10 Burger King restaurants including the Laconia location where the winning ticket was purchased, said, “Helping raise money for the Jimmy Fund is a way we can address issues close to our customers and allows us to give back to the community.”

Hyundai Motor America, based in Fountain Valley, California is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company of Korea. Hyundai cars and light trucks are distributed in the United States by Hyundai Motor America and are sold and serviced through 500 dealerships nationwide.

The Jimmy Fund supports the fight against cancer at Boston’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, helping to raise the chances of survival for children and adults with cancer around the world. Since 1948, the generosity of tens of thousands of people has helped the Jimmy Fund save lives by furthering cancer research and care at Dana-Farber.