— It could be major appliances. It could be candy. It could be auto body work.

There’s no telling how shoppers could get lucky with the annual Magic Holiday Giveaway.

The giveaway, which awards $10,000 to the winning ticket-holder, starts today, when participating merchants pick up their tickets, and runs to Dec. 20, when the winning ticket will be drawn. There also will be four weekly drawings of $500 each.

“As soon as they get their ticket rolls, they can start handing them out to customers,” said Alisha Tanksley, vice president of the Greater Muskogee Area Chamber of Commerce, which sponsors the giveaway. She said 98 merchants are participating this year.

“If you’re getting your car repaired, we recommend you do it in November and December,” Tanksley said, adding that businesses such as The Collision Center of Muskogee are participating.

Darrell Hamby, who owns Hamby TV and Appliance Warehouse, said two of his past customers have won weekly prizes.

“One of them even came back and bought something from me with the money he won,” he said.

Hamby recalled that when he was notified that the week’s winning ticket came from his business, he tracked the customer down to tell him. Hamby said the customer had almost lost the ticket in his car seat.

“Customers get one ticket for each $10 spent,” Hamby said. “A $1,000 refrigerator gets you 100 tickets.”

Not all participating merchants have such big-ticket items.

Candy Craze manager Cathy Edwards said customers who just walk in can get a ticket, plus more for each $10 spent.

She said she gets a lot of return customers.

“Our sugar-free candy is popular,” she said.

The Chamber’s weekly ticket drawings will be at 5 p.m. Wednesdays. The winning ticket numbers will be published in Thursday’s Muskogee Phoenix, announced on Okie Country 101.7 FM and posted at the chamber’s office, 310 W. Broadway, and Arrowhead Mall, 501 N. Main St.

Weekly winners must bring the winning ticket to the chamber office by noon the following Monday to claim the prize.

The drawing for the $10,000 grand prize will be at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 20 at Arrowhead Mall. The winning ticket-holder must claim the prize by Jan. 4.

Reach Cathy Spaulding at (918) 684-2928 or cspaulding@muskogeephoenix.com.

Learn more



WHAT: Magic Holiday Giveaway

WHEN: Today through Dec. 20.

WHERE: Tickets available from 98 participating Muskogee merchants. Check muskogeechamber.org for the list.

PRIZE: $10,000, plus four $500 weekly prizes and a $1,000 cash giveaway.

DRAWING: 6:30 p.m. Dec. 20, Arrowhead Mall, 501 N. Main St.