It feels as if January breezed through before I realized it. I find it difficult to believe that we only have three days before we turn our calendar pages to February.
With that being the case, I am here to remind Signal Tribune fans that Valentine’s Day will be here in just two weeks.
As our loyal longtime readers know, with Valentine’s Day in full view (as proven by many retailers displaying cards, candy, stuffed bears and such) at this time of year the Signal Tribune traditionally features its Sweetheart Sweepstakes.
Our staff members are romantics at heart. So, with love in the air, and our fondness for Cupid— the god of desire, erotic love, attraction and affection— we look forward to giving away lovey-dovey prizes in February.
Yes, today is the kick-off of our 21st 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 21 participating advertisers to enter the drawings for our awesome prize packages. (Check out our centerfold pages this issue and next week’s for entry coupons, rules and amazing list of prizes.)
This year’s prizes are incredibly generous, and we are grateful to all the many local business owners who chose to participate by donating such beautiful dining experiences, items and services. I swear, our prize packages get better every year. For 2016’s sweepstakes, we have a record-breaking 22 prize packages to give away.
This year’s promotion will run today and next Friday. The last chance to enter will be Tuesday, Feb. 9 at noon. At 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, thoroughly mix them up, draw the winners and then contact those lucky folks by telephone. The winners’ names will appear in our Feb. 12 issue.
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Our goal in sponsoring the Sweetheart Sweepstakes is to encourage our readers to patronize local places of business.
By cutting out the coupons and depositing them into the “specially marked boxes or pink buckets” at participating businesses, it gives you a chance to visit those advertisers and familiarize yourselves with their goods or services. Our intention is to give our readers a fun reason to visit some local shops or restaurants they may have never patronized before.
For those of you who plan to participate, please don’t just run in and toss 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 you cannot drop your entry through the mail slot or it will be thrown away. You must go inside the business and drop your entry blank (one per week) into the specially marked box or pink bucket.
Also, remember, you may only enter twice at each business. Do remember to put the right coupon into the right box, or you’ll be disqualified!
A big thank-you goes out to all the folks who so generously donated for our contest. We appreciate your participation. Many of you have donated for all 21 years- you’re the greatest!
So, my dear readers, with a total of 22 prize packages this year, the odds are in your favor, so take the time to participate. If you don’t enter, you can’t win!
Good luck!
Note: Once again, to Mother, my husband Steve, any of my other family members, staff of the Signal Tribune and participating businesses: No, for the 21st time, you cannot enter…and don’t think you can fool me with a phony name and cell-phone number. After all, I am smarter than I look. Really, I am.