When he opened his front door last month, Henderson’s Russell Morrow heard the words that so many folks wish for: “Hi, we’re from Publisher’s Clearing House.”
Morrow, a self-employed computer tech was momentarily wide-eyed and speechless when PCH’s Fahlon Brown presented him with an oversized check replica for nearly $40,000, the value of his award: a new Ford Mustang!
After catching his breath, Morrow pointed to the white 22-year old SUV parked on the street. “My ‘check engine’ light just went on!”
The prize winner’s first call was to his parent’s home in Sun City McDonald Ranch. Before breaking the news, “I told my mom to sit down.”
Morrow admitted to being a longtime PCH game player, dating back to the days when games and entry cards were sent and exchanged by the Post Office. “I played and never knew if I’d win. I loved it when they went with the (phone) apps,” he said. Today, the on-line game versions help Morrow pass the time while on hold to provide computer support to his clients.
PCH was founded in 1953 as an alternative to magazine salespeople pounding on front doors. Sweepstakes were first offered in 1967 with prizes $1-$10.
Competitor American Family Publishers, identified with spokesman Ed McMahon, began an escalating sweepstakes prize war, with awards reaching $10,000,000 in 1985. American Family filed for bankruptcy liquidation in 1998.
“You don’t risk your own money to play with Publishers,” Morrow commented, unlike many online games and apps. PCH, he said, offers a wide variety of games, many patterned after classic arcade games; among his favorites are Miniature Golf and Whack-A-Mole.
Players acquire winning tokens that convert into entries for PCH’s drawings. All prizes valued over $10,000 are presented unannounced, in person by PCH’s Prize Patrol.
Given his choice of the Mustang or cash equivalent, Morrow opted for the cash with plans to breathe new life into his home’s creaky air conditioner and retire the aging automobile.
After seeing the prize presentation posted on Facebook, Florida’s Celia Ferraro Ross echoed the sentiment of many skeptics, “You mean they are for real?”
