Rod Vance (second from right), of Farmville, is the lucky winner, his name drawn to be the first to cross High Bridge, in advance of the state park's grand opening of the historic 2,400-foot bridge. “I didn't believe it. We had just been talking that we never win anything. They'd had the drawing for the door prizes and we didn't win and we thought, 'Fine, we've had a good time.'” Vance, a member of the model train High Bridge Railroad Club, will be able to take his wife, Patty, across with him and he expects the experience to be “incredible.” He had 18 tickets in the drawing. Some contestants bought more than 50. The contest was sponsored as a fundraiser by The Friends of High Bridge Trail State Park. With Vance, from left, are Eric Hougland, manager of High Bridge Trail State Park, David Buckalew, of the Friends group, WFLO's Francis Wood, who drew the winning ticket, and Jo Smith, also of the Friends group. The bridge will open this spring. (Photo by Zoe Rogers, DCR)