CENTRAL FALLS

CENTRAL FALLS -- A local resident won a "dream" prize in the Dunkin’ Donuts "Sports Dreams" promotion and donated it to the people who gave him "so much" during his youth.

David Dumas, who works as a guard at the Wyatt Detention Facility, won the opportunity to have a New England Patriots player deliver a Dunkin’ Donuts product to his workplace as his sports fantasy prize in the 2003 Dunkin’ Donuts "Sports Dreams" promotion.

Dumas won the prize at the Dunkin’ Donuts in Cumberland, near City Hall, on a peel-and-win sticker after purchasing a medium hot coffee. Dumas said he was surprised at first, but immediately knew what he would do with the winning sticker.

Tony Rainone, recipient of the winning ducat, is the athletic director at Central Falls High School, and was a former football coach of Dumas who had a huge impact on his life.

"I gave it to Tony because I was born and raised in Central Falls without a father, as many kids are, and he was like a father to me," Dumas said.

He added he thought a lot of the kids at the school could benefit from having this opportunity to meet a Patriots player.

Dumas said he was born and raised on welfare and food stamps and that he never had the money to get the things he needed to play sports. However, two of his high school coaches were there when he needed them.

"I couldn’t afford to buy shoes for sports, but Tony and my wrestling coach, Tad Constance, gave me shoes so I could play and I’ll never forget that," Dumas said. He added that without those two coaches in his life, he wouldn’t be the man that he is today.

"David has stayed close to the school and myself since 1979 when he played football for me and was my first captain," Rainone said.

He said Dumas was "always a class guy" and that he probably wanted to give something back to the school by donating the ticket.

"I’m very grateful to him because he wanted the kids to have an opportunity to meet a Patriots player," Rainone said.

Rainone verified he has spoken with representatives from Dunkin’ Donuts and that the Patriots player would be linebacker Tedy Bruschi, but no date has been set up for the visit as of Wednesday night.

"I thought it would be more important and an inspiration to these kids to have an opportunity to speak with a pro athlete," Dumas said.

The 2003 "Sports Dreams" promotion kicked off on Jan. 3 and will run through the middle of February, according to Stacy Wilbur, spokesperson for the "Sports Dreams" promotion.

She added the peel-and-win promotion is featured on more than 31 million medium, large and extra-large hot beverage cups at nearly 1,500 Dunkin’ Donuts franchises in the Boston, Providence, Springfield, Mass. and Hartford, Conn. markets.

Wilbur said the total prizes for the "Sports Dreams" promotion are valued at nearly $30 million and feature one-of-a-kind prizes that cannot be purchased anywhere.

"These dream prizes will provide winners with unique opportunities to interact on a personal level with some of New England’s premier athletes," Wilbur said.