THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH?
The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus has long been billed as “The Greatest Show on Earth.” I for one remember as a kid seeing it at Madison Square Garden in New York and thinking that it surely was. I’ll never forget the thrills, the chills, the unbelievable feats of daring, the wide-eyed audience taking in the fantastic spectacle.
In the last 25 years, however, I’ve seen another “show” repeated many times that also leaves spectators breathless. For the person in the middle of this three ring circus it is “the greatest show ever.” I’m talking about the Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes “winning moment” – when the Prize Patrol shows up with roses, balloons and the Big Check. For the winner it’s a thrilling, unforgettable experience. It can be chilling – with the winner unable to stop shaking. The mouth can fall open, unable to utter anything except maybe “OMG. This is unbelievable!” People standing nearby and witnessing the event are amazed and exclaim “I’ve seen this on TV but I never thought I’d see it live and in-person, here!”
The truly remarkable difference between the world-famous circus and the PCH “show” is that one has been staged and rehearsed for years and years while the “winning moment” is totally unrehearsed, unstaged and spontaneous.
Some winners tell us they wish we had told them that the Prize Patrol was coming so they could be well-dressed and prepared to say something intelligent for our video camera and the local news reporters on the scene. But that would ruin the surprise! And believe me, you would not enjoy seeing our TV commercials if our winners stood in the doorway all made-up, coiffed and reciting well-rehearsed lines.
It’s true that by not tipping-off the winners in advance we risk arriving and finding no one home. That’s OK; we are up to the challenge and will make sure that the Big Check finds the rightful recipient.
How about you? Would you like to have a “winning moment” performed on your doorstep? Then don’t delay! Enter the Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes — today and every day, and the Prize Patrol could surprise you with the greatest show of your life!
Good luck.
Prize Patrol Ambassador
