Coffee cup feud settled

"We have awarded an SUV to the parent of one of the little girls in Quebec (who contested ownership of the cup)," Jodi Bond, a spokesperson for the Tim Hortons coffee chain, told AFP on Wednesday.

Last month, the 10-year-old girl found the prize-winning coffee cup in the garbage at her Montreal area school, but was unable to "rrroll up the rim" to determine if it was a winner, so she asked an older girl for help.

The annual promotion urges coffee drinkers to check under the rim to look for millions of dollars in prizes, including a brand new Toyota sport utility vehicle worth C$28 000.

The two girls took the cup to a teacher, who called their parents. After initially agreeing to share the prize, the parents were soon at odds over how to split it.

Later, a school employee came forward saying he bought the cup, and should be awarded the prize despite disposing of the cup. He hired a lawyer, who told local media he was considering demanding a DNA test to prove his client's case.

National debate

The feud sparked a flurry of newspaper commentaries and television debates. An online US gambling site even issued odds on which girl might get to claim the prize.

Nathalie Prevost, the mother of the older girl who abandoned her claim, told the National Post newspaper: "There was no point in tearing ourselves up for money. All it did was cause trouble."

"It would have been nice for my daughter to have something, but we decided to give up because we didn't want any more arguing," she said.

"Good for them if they're happier. I don't think more money makes you happier. I didn't have any before and I was not unhappy."