By Neena Strichart
Today is the kick-off for our 14th Annual Sweetheart Sweepstakes. With this promotion, our readers cut out entry coupons that appear during the next two weeks in the Signal Tribune and take them to any or all of the 24 participating advertisers to enter the drawings for our fantastic prize packages. Check out pages 10 and 11 for entry coupons, rules and prize list.
This year’s prizes are pretty amazing, thanks to a lot of very generous businesses and individuals. I can’t believe we were able to garner such treasures.
This year’s promotion will run today and next Thursday. The last chance to enter will be Tuesday, Feb. 10 at noon. After that time, our staff members will pick up all the entry boxes. Once we have them in our hot little hands, we will count the entries, mix ’em up, draw the winners and then contact them by telephone. The winners’ names will appear in our Feb. 12 issue.
The point of the Sweetheart Sweepstakes is to encourage our readers to patronize local businesses. Cutting out and then dropping off the coupons in the “specially marked pink buckets” at participating businesses gives our readers an opportunity to visit our advertisers and familiarize themselves with those merchants’ goods or services. Our intention is to give our readers a fun reason to visit some local shops or restaurants they’ve missed out on in the past.
Keep in mind there are rules— you cannot enter by mail, fax or email; and don’t just drop your entry through the mail slot— it will be thrown away. You must go inside the business and drop your entry blank into the specially marked pink bucket.
Also, you may only enter once a day at each business. Do remember to put the right coupon in the right box or you’ll be disqualified! And by the way, take the time to shop or eat while you’re there. Who knows, you may just discover your new favorite shop or restaurant!
A big thanks goes out to all the folks who so generously donated for our contest. We appreciate your participation. Many of you have donated for all 14 years— you’re the greatest!
So, my dear readers, with a total of more than 12 prize packages in all, the odds are in your favor… so enter, and enter often. If you don’t enter, you can’t win!
Ed. Note: To Deborah Drake and Pat Long, sales assistants–No, I do not accept your resignations to quit only for the month of February and be rehired in March in order for you to enter the sweepstakes. To Mother and Steve–No, for the 14th time–you two cannot enter, so stop asking!
