Contest Queen: Woman Wins $65K a Year in Sweepstakes
When most people see a chance to win a free prize in a magazine or online they simply pass it over, confident that nobody ever wins those things. April Jacques of Edmonds, Wash., is not most people. Jacques has been applying to sweepstakes for the last three years, sometimes as many as 150 in one day, according to KOMO News.
"At first my husband thought it was crazy, that it wasn't real, and my friends too, and they didn't believe me, but they do now," Jacques told KOMO
And doubters have a reason believe, KOMO reports that over the last three years Ms. Jacques has won an impressive series of prizes including
- A three-day trip to Los Angeles and tickets to see Flo Rida & Estelle at the Los Angeles Block Party in Paramount's back lot
- Three days in New York, including a trip to the 2009 Heisman Trophy Ceremony at the Nokia Theater in Times Square
- A Marie Claire hair make-over and three days in New York.
- A trip to Vancouver via Amtrak and a stay the Fairmont Hotel
- A trip to Nashville, tickets to the Country Music Awards Show, a meet and greet with Jason Aldean and a tour of the Country Music Museum
- Las Vegas Seahawks tailgate party with three days at the Hard Rock Hotel.
- An overnight stay at a bed and breakfast in Redmond.
- An overnight night stay at the Semiahmoo resort in Washington.
- A meet and greet with the Canadian Tenors, concert tickets, and an overnight stay at the Shangri-La Hotel in Vancouver
According to Jacques, the secret is dealing with reputable companies, and reading the fine print. She told KOMO that she enters as much as possible if a contest allows repeat entries. It was this strategy that led to her biggest win ever, a 19.5 foot Ranger Bass Boat, valued at $50,000.
Jacques concedes that part of her winnings are due to luck, but does not believe this is the only factor, telling KOMO, "I spend a lot of time looking online and entering, it's not like I just enter one time and win. It takes time and persistence."