Mars Snackfood Gives $1M to Contest Winner
PHOENIX -- Mars Snackfood gave Ahwatukee resident Michelle Willis the grand prize of the company’s national Halloween Million Contest. M&M’S characters delivered to Willis and her family an oversized check representing her $1 million winnings and celebrated her luck as the single national winner of the online contest.
To take part in the sweepstakes, consumers visited HalloweenMillion.com, where they keyed in their birthdates to ensure they are at least 13 years of age. Next, the consumer entered a UPC code on participating products from M&M’S brand, MILKY WAY brand, SNICKERS brand, SKITTLES brand, STARBURST brand, 3 MUSKETEERS brand and TWIX brand. The consumer automatically entered that brand’s "room" in the virtual Million Dollar Mansion, such as the M&M’S Ballroom, MILKY WAY Observatory and SKITTLES Gaming Parlor. Besides offering games, each room contained a "clickable" item revealing Instant Win Messages to lucky consumers. Prizes ranged from free product coupons to $1,000 M&M’S-branded VISA debit cards, and all participants were entered in the sweepstakes for the $1 million grand prize.
Willis learned of her win in mid-November on the day her veterinarian informed her that a fast-growing tumor on family dog Belle needed to be removed by a surgeon. "Belle is my best friend, and we were so worried about how we were going to cover the cost of the surgery," said Willis, who said it has been difficult making ends meet lately within the family budget, especially with a college student in the household.
"When we got home from meeting with the vet, there was a FedEx letter saying that I had won the contest," Willis said. "I couldn’t believe it was true, so I called my daughters into the room so they could read it too. The operation was weighing so heavily on my mind that this news was perfect timing."
To take part in the sweepstakes, consumers visited HalloweenMillion.com, where they keyed in their birthdates to ensure they are at least 13 years of age. Next, the consumer entered a UPC code on participating products from M&M’S brand, MILKY WAY brand, SNICKERS brand, SKITTLES brand, STARBURST brand, 3 MUSKETEERS brand and TWIX brand. The consumer automatically entered that brand’s "room" in the virtual Million Dollar Mansion, such as the M&M’S Ballroom, MILKY WAY Observatory and SKITTLES Gaming Parlor. Besides offering games, each room contained a "clickable" item revealing Instant Win Messages to lucky consumers. Prizes ranged from free product coupons to $1,000 M&M’S-branded VISA debit cards, and all participants were entered in the sweepstakes for the $1 million grand prize.
Willis learned of her win in mid-November on the day her veterinarian informed her that a fast-growing tumor on family dog Belle needed to be removed by a surgeon. "Belle is my best friend, and we were so worried about how we were going to cover the cost of the surgery," said Willis, who said it has been difficult making ends meet lately within the family budget, especially with a college student in the household.
"When we got home from meeting with the vet, there was a FedEx letter saying that I had won the contest," Willis said. "I couldn’t believe it was true, so I called my daughters into the room so they could read it too. The operation was weighing so heavily on my mind that this news was perfect timing."