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Haverhill Soldier Wins AFC Championship Tickets

HAVERHILL (CBS)- A soldier in the National Guard is among five lucky fans chosen to attend the AFC Championship by Dunkin Donuts.

The fast food chain held a contest for tickets and awarded Chris Demain of Haverhill a pair. Demain deploys to Afghanistan next month with his unit out of Concord, New Hampshire.

"I had a bucket list before I left and one was to go to a Pats game. Never thought it would happen but it was just one thing I wanted to do before I left," said Demain, a former high school quarterback.

Demain is checking that bucket list off one by one.

His girlfriend, Jillian Cabral, bought him Bruins tickets and he visited a casino this weekend. Thanks to a well-worded contest entry from his mother, Demain will watch the Patriots play the Ravens at Gillette Stadium.

"He's been stressed out about leaving family and he's worried," said Demain's mother, Josie McCarthy. "I would just like to see a smile on his face for once and for him to take good memories with him."

Demain is taking his mother's fiance, Charlie Cruz, to the game. Cruz says there isn't a person more deserving of the tickets.

"He's always doing something for somebody else," said Cruz. "I love him like he's my own kid."

"I'm wicked thankful," Demain added. "The fact that I got these tickets, I feel like it's a one in a million shot."

Dunkin Donuts presented the tickets to the winners Saturday morning with help from the Patriots cheerleaders. The four other ticket winners were Andrea Marquardt of Cambridge, Robert Trahan of Chester, NH, John McMahan of Boston, and Jeff Peterson of Medway.

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