Local Resident Wins Big in Vegas--Without Gambling
A routine business trip to Las Vegas turned into a memory of a lifetime for Al Brusewitz after he was selected the city’s 500 millionth visitor since 1960.
The Huntington man was greeted by rows of showgirls, an Elvis impersonator and hordes of cameras as he departed his Southwest Airlines flight Wednesday at McCarran International Airport. And to add to his Vegas experience, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority gave Brusewitz five free vacations to the gaming mecca.
“I just couldn’t believe it, “ said Brusewitz, hours after arriving in Las Vegas for a computer convention. “My wife couldn’t either when I called to tell her. It’s been quite a day and even though it’s all just starting to sink in, I’ll never forget it.”
Brusewitz, 55, a computer security consultant for a Los Angeles-based company, said he and his wife, Jan, are already making plans for their first Las Vegas vacation next year.
“All we have to do is find the right date,” he said.
The award is part of National Tourism Week, held May 3 to 9.
More than 30 million people visit Las Vegas each year, contributing $25 billion to the area’s economy, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. Of this, more than a quarter of the visitors are from Southern California.
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