SALISBURY — Winner's Circle owner Jeff Dufford got the call yesterday he'd been waiting for since the Red Sox won the World Series — the first time around.
"The Lottery contacted me and said the World Series trophies were going to be in the area in Danvers," Dufford said. "They had an appointment in Danvers at 5 p.m., so they wanted to see if we could host it here beforehand to let those in this area see it."
The series trophies will be visiting the Winner's Circle restaurant on Wednesday, from 2:30 to 4 p.m.
The preliminary tour, sponsored by the Massachusetts state Lottery, included Gloucester, Haverhill, Peabody and Lynn, but Greater Newburyport was out of luck.
"We tried to make it so as many people as possible can see it," Lottery spokesman Dan Rosenthal said when the original schedule was released. "When choosing 30 places, we knew it would be difficult to get everywhere."
After the 2004 Red Sox World Series win, the trophy was shown at several local locations. Nearly 1,000 people went to Newburyport High School to view it in April of 2005, when some waited in line for more than 30 minutes to get their picture taken with the 2-foot-tall, 30-pound trophy.
The trophy was also displayed throughout Amesbury and Salisbury as well as at the Newbury Town Library, the Merrimac Public Library, the Page Elementary School in West Newbury, the Rowley Public Library and the Georgetown Middle/High School.
"We are very excited," Dufford said. "We tried to get it here the first time around in 2004, but they were only stopping at public schools and those kind of buildings."
The event, sponsored by the Massachusetts Lottery, takes care of the most of the details, from setting up tables to facilitating visitors.
On Wednesday, visitors can take a picture with the trophy provided they bring their own cameras and can enter for a chance to win T-shirts and Red Sox tickets.
Yesterday, Dufford worked to start promoting the event, which he believes will draw a large crowd. Already he has contacted local schools who may want to bus students to the restaurant to see the historic trophies.
"We are a sports themed restaurant, and the World Series trophy is a big deal," Dufford said. "Red Sox Nation is huge, and we have a good crowd of regulars who watch the games here."
The Winner's Circle can accommodate up to 100 people in its main room, where Boston sports games are shown on the 120-inch, high definition television.
"We are one of the top Lottery agents in the state," Dufford said. "This is huge."
If You Go
What: See the World Series trophies from 2004 and 2007
When: Wednesday 2:30 to 4 p.m.
Where: The Winner's Circle in Salisbury, 211 Elm St.
For more information, contact Dufford at 978-462-8994
