PCH History Is Made – John Wyllie Wins First “Forever” Prize!
On August 31st 2012, Publishers Clearing House history was made. For the first time ever, PCH awarded a $5,000.00 A Week “Forever” Prize — and I am honored to be a member of the Prize Patrol that handed over this incredible prize. John Wyllie of White City, Oregon was the lucky winner who won $5,000 a week for his life, AND he gets to choose someone who will also receive $5,000.00 a week for their life after he’s gone! Here is how this winning moment went…
At 10:30 AM the town Sheriff led the way into the mobile estate community where John Wyllie lives. The Prize Patrol was joined by local newspapers, TV stations and a crew from AOL.com! Over the loud speaker the Sheriff said: “Publishers Clearing House is here — somebody in White City won!” When we pulled up to John’s trailer, we were greeted by his father, Vernon, who let us know that John was inside (yay)! Without letting him know what was going on, Vernon got John to come outside…and that’s when the magic began.
Dave Sayer revealed the BIG check and let John know that HE was the winner of the $5,000 A Week “Forever” Prize! Immediately John began to shake visibly, overcome with emotion. “I never would have thought in a million or two million or three millions years this could happen”. He told us that this prize will change his life. Life has not been easy for John: “Going out there every day looking for work, hope to God I find a job so I won’t end up on the street.” Well John certainly doesn’t need to worry about that any longer! Tears of joy turned soon to screams of excitement when John popped the Prize Patrol champagne, making it spray up in the air and over his head – now THAT’S what I call a celebration!
John and his father Vernon have entered the PCH sweepstakes for years and they used to fanaticize about what he would do if he ever won. Now that John DID win, it didn’t take him long to say he would do — “First thing I’m going to do? Buy my dad a house” and “as long as I can make somebody else happy with some of this, that’d be good with me” as tears ran down his face. His selfless reaction literally brought me to tears.
I have awarded so many prizes since I have joined the Prize Patrol, and I have to say that this winning moment has changed MY life FOREVER. The experience of literally handing someone a whole new life in the form of a PCH Big Check is simply amazing. His emotional reaction to this cash windfall was so moving – this prize will change John’s life “Forever”!
I hope you all have enjoyed hearing about this history-making winning moment just as much as I enjoyed experiencing it in person. And don’t forget you can enter to win the Mega Prize on November 30th NOW — you never know, I may be writing this kind of blog about YOU one day!
Danielle Lam
PCH Prize Patrol Elite
