That’s what shopping local did for this man from Young, who said the car has come as a blessing.

Jim was told about the Fujitsu Home Free national promotion after purchasing a Fujitsu ducted air conditioning system from John Hobson Refrigeration and Air Conditioning in Lovell Street.

It was a promotion offering prizes of a new SUV or $500,000 cash.

Jim was one of 10 people in the country to win a car.

“I just kind of cried when they called me to tell me I’d won,” Jim said.

“It’s come at the perfect time, I haven’t been working that much. What we’re going to do is sell my wife’s car and she’s going to have this car.”

Jim suffers from Hepatitis C and psoriatic arthritis, diagnosed 11 years ago.

“It’s a strain from the US and it’s the hardest one to cure… it just keeps getting worse,” Jim said.

“For the last two months I’ve been on Interferon and it makes you so sick. I couldn’t get out of bed for more than two or three minutes for two months.”

John Hobson said the prize couldn’t have gone to a more deserving recipient.

“We’re so delighted one of our customers was a winner in the Fujitsu Home Free promotion,” he said.

“And it’s funny, Jim was adamant he wanted to buy his air conditioner from here.”