ESTEVAN - Estevan’s media outlets are teaming up on a promotion that will see local residents win money that can be used for some pretty impressive prizes.
The Million Dollar Giveaway starts Sept. 8 and will continue until an auction the evening of Oct. 21 at the Estevan Shoppers Mall.
As part of the promotion, $2 million in play money will be printed off. People can win a portion of that play money through several different avenues. One is by going to live on location sessions that the radio station will be hosting during the promotion.
Also, every one of the participating businesses will have money to give away however they want, through a Facebook contest, entering through a purchase or other means.
The Mercury will also be giving away play money through its Facebook page.
Then on Oct. 21, Norm Mack with the Mack Auction Co. is holding a live auction at the Estevan Market Mall where people will come with the money they have won and bid on prizes provided by the businesses in the promotion.
Nick Yakimchuk, the manager of the Golden West radio stations in Estevan – CJ 1150, Sun 102.3 FM, Rock 106 and Discover Estevan – believes now is the time to have a partnership for local businesses.
“We’ve had a lot of positive feedback from our business community, and I encourage everyone to play, of course, in support of our local businesses along the way.”
He hopes the public will be every bit excited for the promotion and the auction as the staff at the radio stations and the Mercury.
Yakimchuk noted that people will spin the radio stations’ Wheel of Winning to determine how much money they will win.
“You can spin the wheel, and you can land some pretty substantial promotional cash prizes, and I think everyone has a really solid opportunity to walk away with some great prizes from our local businesses.”
The lowest amount will be $500 in promotional auction bucks. Every slot on the wheel will be a winner.
“There will be lots of opportunity to find us around Estevan and win some promotional money,” he said.
Deanna Tarnes, the sales manager and publisher for the Mercury, said the different platforms will allow everyone to know about the promotion. And it will be a celebration of local business.
“It will be highlighting the wide variety of products that you can get in Estevan,” said Tarnes.
Various businesses in Estevan are on board for the promotion.
“The advertisers really appreciated us working together. It’s another example of how collaboration is a good thing,” said Tarnes.
The minimum prize value for an item in the auction is $250. It will be a product from their store, or a quality product that the donor has picked up from another business. Some companies are supplying gift cards.
It’s the type of event that hasn’t happened in the community for a while.
Tarnes said the Mercury loves to offer promotions, give away prizes and help the local business community advertise in unique ways, but they haven’t been able to do one in the past year.
People can find the list of the participating businesses and the available prizes in the Mercury each week. There will also be a schedule of where the live on location segments are happening in Estevan.
Yakimchuk believes the business community is supportive of the partnership. It allows the local entrepreneurs to promote across all mediums through print, broadcast and online.
“This has been a very welcomed partnership, especially coming into our fall season, and especially after some hardship,” said Yakimchuk.
Both Tarnes and Yakimchuk said it has been great to work together, and they thought this was the time to make it happen, as the Mercury and the radio station are like-minded entities.
