Today’s the Seventh of July, 2007, a date considered by some folks to be extremely lucky, as it’s 7-7-7. While some Iowans will head for the casino, others will head for the chapel. LuAnn Laughridge is spokeswoman for the Little Brown Church in the Vale, near Waterloo, which is hosting a 12 weddings today.
Laughridge says: "Not usually the norm. It is wonderful to have that many weddings on a certain Saturday. I do believe people have picked this day because they’ve heard it’s lucky so we’re happy to have that many couples."
The historic church has been hosting weddings for more than 150 years. Valentine’s Day is often one of their busiest days of the year. Laughridge says couples make the trip there from all over the planet to tie the knot, though she says the two-dozen brides and grooms today are all from closer to home.
She says this weekend’s about-to-be-marrieds are all from Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota. For another type of gamble on this triple-seven date, Iowa has some-20 race tracks and casinos that will lure in gamers with a host of promotions.
Steve Berry is spokesman for Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino in Altoona. Berry bills this as "the luckiest day ever." He says, "We thought it’s a pretty good day for those who are a little superstitious to come out to the casino here at Prairie Meadows. We’re expecting a pretty good crowd of folks that think they can hit it big and we’ve got some promotions lined up to help them do just that."
Berry says the person who wins the biggest slot jackpot today will also win a new car. He says, "Seven-seven-seven’s been considered a lucky series of numbers for years. The slot machines obviously hit big on triple-sevens and so it’s just coincidence that this day comes around." The casino’s also hosting a free Joan Jett concert tonight. When else? At seven P.M.