To give like Oprah
Just like Oprah Winfrey, I’ve been fortunate to have a hand in giving away money for a good cause.
Who doesn’t remember their jaw dropping when they learned of the celebrity’s “Oprah’s Favorite Things” segment, in which she gifted brand-spanking new Pontiac G-6 sedans to nearly 300 people in her studio audience that day back in September 2004?
I know I nearly had to pick mine up off the floor.
As I later learned, the gifted cars weren’t actually free nor were they compliments of Oprah herself. The recipients of cars had to pay sales and registration taxes, and it was Pontiac who actually donated the cars as a marketing tool to promote the G-6.
Nonetheless, the approximate $6,000 in fees was still a pretty good deal for a new car.
That takes me to the first funds I have a part in doling out. It’s our annual “Pick the Pigskin” competition. In this week’s Brandon Valley Trader, you’ll see that Nancy Brown and Wendy Neuharth are the winners. For their keen selections, Nancy is rewarded with a $25 gift certificate to spend at any one of the 15 participating local businesses, and Wendy received $10.
If you aren’t playing our weekly “Pick the Pigskin,” what are you waiting for? There’s still free money to be had.
There’s are nine weeks yet to play, and all it takes is a bit of effort on your part. Simply, find the game board on an inside page of the Brandon Valley Trader, decide which team is going to win the 15 featured games each week – a mix of high school, college and pro games – and the person with the most correct answers wins the $25 gift certificate, and a $10 gift certificate goes to the runner-up.
If you’re up for some “free cash” and want to give our Pick the Pigskin contest a whirl, simply fill out the game board and drop it off at the Journal office by 5 p.m. Fridays. Who knows, you may the next lucky person to get a call from our version of “Oprah”, who happens to be Lisa, our office manager.
Next, I’ll slip into my “volunteer” role with the Ed Polzine Wild Game Feed Fund. This Friday, we’re serving up a fish fry at the Brandon VFW starting at 5 p.m. A free will offering will get you a plate loaded with fish, fries and coleslaw.
The real excitement of the night follows at 7 p.m. when our second annual “30 Guns in 30 Minutes” raffle begins.
With just a handful of the 300 tickets yet to sell, supporters of this fundraiser will have a one in 10 chance of winning. Yep, one in 10. That’s surely better odds than most raffles offer. We have tickets at the Journal office that may be purchased during business hours.
The money we raise is shared with kids and adults within the Brandon Valley School Districts who have cancer or life-impacting circumstances, such as a fire.
If you know of someone who can use our help, please let us know, because we’re one of the many “Oprahs” of our community that simply wants to make a difference.
