SkiNorthCarolina.com and SkiSoutheast.com have been giving free tickets and free vacations away for years now and those of you who follow this website can attest to the fact that we have made fun of some of contest entrants when it comes time to announce winners. Our goal is not to give these things away so that we can write funny stories…we just want to introduce people to how nice it is to ski here.
In the past, we have made it SO obvious that people WIN these things…and occasionally we have ran into somewhat funny little scenarios when it comes time to contact the winners. I remember a year or so ago when a woman got irate with us when we called and hung up when she didn’t answer the phone! Evidently she had caller ID and when we told her that we had already awarded the trip to someone else (who DID answer the phone) she threatened to sue us. I would have LOVED to have attended that kind of court case. Could you imagine the judge saying something like, “Mam, let me get this straight. You didn’t answer the phone, but you want to sue because you didn’t win???”
This world is getting r-e-a-l-l-y weird!
That brings us to today’s announcements. First the good news!
Congratulations to Lacy Wilson of Belton, South Carolina for winning Trip #3 which is a 4 day 3 night vacation getaway to Eagle Ridge Log Cabins in Banner Elk. The trip included (4) lift tix and free equipment rentals.
Also Congratulations to Sandy Harper of Barnwell, South Carolina for winning Trip #4, which is a 4 day 3 night vacation getaway to Happy Times Cabin on Seven Devils for UP TO TEN PEOPLE, with free lift tickets for up to ten AND free equipment rentals!
We have emailed confirmations to them and they were excited to win…and we’re certain that they will have a blast. Again congrats to both families.
Now to MY FUN! Before I get a bunch of emails from tons of you guys wondering things like, “Hey I would have made it EASY for you to pick me.” – or “Hey you picked both Winners from South Carolina, What’s up with that?” Read on –
I began my morning by calling to advise some lucky winners that they were going to enjoy a free, no strings attached vacation to Western North Carolina. I really enjoy hearing the joyful squeals in their voices when you tell them that they won.
This full moon that is in the sky right now MUST be affecting people…maybe even me…because I had to call TWENTY TWO people to find our winners! I’m frustrated! Do people not READ anymore? Do people not remember something that they did YESTERDAY!?!
Before you guys give me hell, I told EVERY person that I spoke with that couldn’t make the trip that I was going to make fun of them on the website. Maybe people will start reading! The rules are printed right there for all to see…but you DO have to read them!
Here are the sordid details:
1. Call One was to Lucky Rebecca Shirley of Jacksonville, Florida. No Answer.
No problem, that happens.
2. Call Two was to Susan Patterson of Crowley, Texas. She was excited to be a winner. Great, thanks Mike, gosh free vacation, free tickets, free airfare. — SCREECH – What. The airfare isn’t included? Well I can’t accept.
Was free airfare mentioned anywhere? In fact, if you read the rules…it SAYS no travel expenses or airfare are included. Next!
3. Call Three was to Jadie Alten of Orange Park, Florida. No Answer.
Okay…is anyone at the numbers they left?
4. Call Four went to Danielle (no last name given) of Smithtown, New York. No Answer.
What’s someone from New York doing on this website anyway?
5. Call Five went to Richard Marchese of Wilmington, North Carolina. No Answer. I kind of wanted to see if this guy was related to Dr. Marchese of baby fame in Boone.
Maybe there’s something big going on here!
6. Call Six went to Luke Green of Meridianville, Alabama. Answer Machine. We don’t leave no stinking messages!
I’m getting a little frustrated here.
7. Call Seven went to Martha Torres of Auburn, Alabama. No Answer.
Am I missing something? World coming to an end and I’m the only one still here?
8. Call Eight went to Lacy Inscho of St. Joseph, Missouri. Yahoo an answer!
“Momma, some strange man wants to give you something?” I laughed. I’d have given anything to know what “momma” was thinking! Her young child came back to the phone. “Momma won’t come.” (I wasn’t going to touch that one.) …and then with a major hesitation the little voice on the other end of the phone added, “She’s changing my baby sister.” (Could have been brother. I’m just now reliving this nightmare.)
I told her to tell momma that she entered a contest and she has won. She responded, “Momma won’t come.” I was about to give up when “momma” picked up the phone. Lacy was sweet…but after hemming and hawing for a small eternity “just couldn’t confirm a 100%”.
WHAT? Your honor, did this woman enter for those dates or didn’t she!? Oh I forget, we didn’t have to go to court. But no winner! (Heck she’s the mother of two little ones…she was probably entering the contest half asleep. We’ll let her off the hook and move on!)
9. Call Nine went to Ginny Waskow of York, SC. No Answer.
I’m seeing a pattern here – I think. I’m not that bright though so I could be wrong!
10. Call Ten went to Joyce Pawlik of Arlington Heights, Illinois! Mrs. Pawlik was away, but her husband Jim was a great guy. He “wanted to accept”, knew Boone, NC, knew that his wife had probably entered the contest since they “keep up with the area” – loves the mountains and all that. However, sickness in the family. He gave me another number to try Joyce. (Heck I was getting desparate!) She was just as nice as hubby, Jim. However, she “didn’t expect to win.” – Seems she was passing time late night taking care of a sick mom. No funny replies here. Next!
11. Call Eleven went to Megan Underwood of Hephzibah, Georgia. No Answer.
Anyone else ever heard of that town? Seems there’s something to this pattern thing!
12. Call Twelve went to Stephanie Bartelli of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. No Answer.
You gotta be kidding me right? IOWA!!??
13. Call Thirteen went to “DJ Guseman” of Southport, NC who was evidently thinking that I was a spy for the IRS or FBI or something, because he interrogated me for minutes before finally telling me that I was speaking to him…and that – you got it – he couldn’t make the trip. Seems he didn’t remember checking “ENTER ME”, “ENTER ME” numerous times for all contest dates. He couldn’t make it…and didn’t much appreciate me even calling him.
I didn’t want the jerk to win anyway! Ha.
14. Call Fourteen. My ear was beginning to hurt. That call went to Lacy Wilson of Belton, South Carolina. After hearing the kids scream and being on hold for a bit…we had a great conversation and she’s the winner of the Eagle Ridge giveaway!
Yea! I’m done. I DID it. I FOUND a winner. Oh darn, that’s right. We’re giving away TWO TRIPS for that weekend. More calls.
15. Call Fifteen went to Gwendolyn Dressler of Bolivar, Missouri. Are we growing THAT much?!?
“Wendy” as she announced herself was excited to know she had won…until it came to the travel part of the deal. “What, this doesn’t include airfare!?!”
Are you kidding me, I thought. We’ve been doing this for several years now and I have never had this come up ONCE, much less TWICE in minutes!
“No mam,” I replied.
“Then I can’t make it,” She answered.
GOOD… Wasn’t she from that “SHOW ME STATE” where you have to show them things? Didn’t we do that with the rules, I thought. I was Mr. Nice Guy (really I was) and we parted as dear friends, promising to meet down the road. Okay, THAT part I lied about!
16. Call N-u-m-b-e-r Sixteen went to Robin Harbinger of Baldwinsville, New York! No Answer.
We were randomly picking entries and hitting all of the states that we’ve never seen visits from before. What the heck is happening here. Am I in some strange website? Nope, it’s SkiNC and as I look down the entries I see from an amazing number of states. Maybe we have gotten on some kind of freebie website!?!? Moving on.
17. Call Seventeen went to Robin Reynolds of Prairieville, Louisiana. Do they HAVE Prairies in Louisiana? I was beginning to whimper silently as there seemed to be no answer. Then they answered! Yes, another human being. Someone who will appreciate my call…and excitedly accept the vacation! It was not to be! She WANTED to make the trip. Didn’t know where Seven Devils, Boone or Banner Elk was. Heck I had to convince her that the state of North Carolina was BIG ENOUGH to HAVE a Western North Carolina!
I was doing a REAL sales job on her. In the best ‘radio voice” I could muster I said, “Mrs. Reynolds, you’re a winner!” That didn’t work either! Seems she’d never won anything. She WANTED to be called a winner. Really she did. But she had to call her husband first. She called him – I waited – he couldn’t make it. Seem HE just started a new job. There’s no way he could do the 26th.
Next! (No wait a minute!) Why would you enter a contest that you KNOW you can’t make? That’s right, because she didn’t expect to win!
18. Call Eighteen went to Greeg Sadleson of Weaverville, North Carolina who made the comment on his entry, “Hey, what’s up with the fact that I always enter and have never won?” Hey I had a real dedicated contest enterer here. I just KNEW he’d be grateful and make the trip. You guessed it. Not in the cards. Gregg wasn’t available to answer the phone.
Now I wasn’t exactly “silently whimpering”! "Next" I said to myself through the sobs.
19. Call Nineteen. Count ‘em – n-i-n-e-t-e-e-n! It went to Diane Urbanski or Orlando, Florida. No Answer.
I was now crying out loud. I was scaring my children. My twelve year old was now sitting with me, obviously consoling me…but doing so with a smile on her face. What’s up with that!?
20. Call Twenty went to Mark Armstrong of Orlando, Florida. No Answer.
Has Orlando been blown up?
21. Call Twenty One went to Sarah Breuer of Atlanta, Georgia. Surely Hot-Lanta would be available. Nope. No Answer.
I was a beaten man! I just could not make another call! I just couldn’t. I sat with my head in my hands. Now my six year old was standing by my side as well. My kids love me. She was saying, “Daddy it will be okay. Just try another one. This one will work out – really it will.”
She was so sweet I felt I owed her my best effort.
22. I called one more. This was call Twenty-Two and it went to Sandy Harper of Barnwell, SC. As you will note in the announcements, Mrs. Harper is the winner of Trip #4. Yes, I had to beg her. I actually had to throw in a Jacuzzi, 4 decks, and….
Just kidding. All of that was included on Trip 4 and Sandy actually THANKED ME. I found a very grateful, pleasurable, sweet, appreciative winner. Those South Carolina people appreciate winning something for nothing. Seems like a lot of other people take it for granted. Heck we owe them the trip. Okay, maybe I’m a little frustrated. if you’re from the other 49 states, forgive me.
I’m not picking the winners next month. One of my office help will get that tough task! Darn!!! This was like WORK!
(Editor’s Note: While the facts of this story are 100% true, some of the emotions expressed in it were moderated for your enjoyment. I wasn’t crying. REALLY I WASN’T!)
Until Next Time!
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