by Neena Strichart
With January behind us, and Groundhog Day being tomorrow, it is now time to gear up for Valentine’s Day. Anyone who has been a long-time reader of the Signal Tribune knows that this time of year is when we sponsor our biggest feature of the year— our Sweetheart Sweepstakes.
Today is the kick-off for the 18th event. 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 awesome prize packages. Check out pages inside the issue for entry coupons, rules and prize list.
This year’s prizes are amazing, and I find it heartwarming that so many local businesses chose to participate by donating such generous items. I still can’t believe we were able to put together such a fine array of prizes.
This year’s promotion will run today and next Friday. The last chance to enter will be Wednesday, Feb. 13 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 take them to the office, count the entries, mix ’em up, draw the winners and then contact those lucky folks by telephone. The winners’ names will appear in our Feb. 15 issue.
Our goal in sponsoring the Sweetheart Sweepstakes is to encourage our readers to patronize local businesses. By cutting out and then dropping off the coupons in the “specially marked boxes or pink buckets” at participating businesses, our readers have an opportunity to visit the participating 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 may have never visited before.
For those of you who plan to participate, please don’t just run in and throw your entry in the various boxes. Do take the time to look around and shop or dine at the establishment that so graciously helped sponsor the sweepstakes.
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 into the specially marked container.
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! Remember, 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 18 years— you’re the greatest!
So, my dear readers, with a total of 15 prize packages in all, the odds are in your favor…so enter, and enter often. If you don’t enter, you can’t win!
Note: To Mother, my husband Steve, staff of the Signal Tribune and participating businesses— NO! For the 18th time, you cannot enter, so stop asking! And don’t think you can fool me with a phony name and cell-phone number! I’m smarter than I look!
