California PCH Winner Wishes She Knew Prize Patrol Was Coming

It was a beautiful day in northern California, sunny and mild, and the perfect time to do some gardening.  So that’s what Virginia Rundell, a Bay Area resident and recent PCH winner, decided to do – and left a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle on the dining table to tackle later on.  Of course, gardening doesn’t require that you be dressed for a TV filming, so Virginia wasn’t.  Still she looked perfectly presentable when she answered the doorbell and saw the Publishers Clearing House Prize Patrol standing there with roses, balloons and – ta dahh – a Big Check for $10,000.00!

“Oh no, I’m not dressed for this!” she said after catching her breath and being told that she was the PCH winner of our special online Giveaway #2227.

“You look fine” I assured her – and indeed the surprised joy and smile on her face made her look terrific.

Virginia’s husband appeared in an outfit that also was not made for TV – except maybe for lounging and watching it.  “Gosh,” Mr. Rundell said, “I wish we’d known you were coming,” echoing his wife’s sentiments.  He knew that Virginia had entered the PCH Sweepstakes many times over the years – sometimes by mail, often online at pch.com; but the Rundells never expected the Prize Patrol to knock on the door with a video camera and a newspaper reporter and photographer staring them in the face.

I told them that that’s the way we like it: a surprise out-of-the blue, no pre-notification, no rehearsal, no staging, no re-takes. And I’m also reminding you blog-readers: The PCH “winning moments” you see on TV are “the real thing”.

Even though the Rundells would have liked some advance notice, they were thrilled with their good fortune.  You can read more about their reaction by clicking on this link to the local newspaper’s report.

How would you like to have the Prize Patrol drop in for an unannounced visit?  How would you like some roses, balloons and a BIG CHECK worth thousands, even millions of dollars?  It could happen to you.  Go to pch.com and ENTER! As the old story goes – and as the Rundells have been thrillingly reminded, “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus!”

Wishing you the best of luck.

Dave Sayer
Prize Patrol Ambassador