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Las Cruces, NM– Gloria Guzman slept on a quiet street outside of the busy downtown on Thursday, while Dave Sayer of the Publishers Clearing House Prize Patrol was at a nearby flower shop picking up roses for her.
The oversize checks with her name on them were already in his van and the assembled media was busy discussing among themselves if, in fact, the Prize Patrol was a real thing. Soon, Gloria’s husband Mike of 60 plus years would say the same thing – in shock himself – as he went to wake up Gloria for the surprise of a lifetime.
“Dumbfounded,” was the only word that the 83-year-old Guzman could muster when she sat down to catch her breath. “You always want it, that’s why you enter it, you figure well maybe. But, when it’s here, it’s just amazing – unbelievable.”
Guzman won $10,000 instantly and as a “VIP” entrant to the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes, she also won another $10,000 a year for life. Luckily for her, Sayer came equipped with an actual paper check to go along with the oversized ones.
The octogenarian who says that one of her sons has moved back home in the last two years to take care of her plans to spend the money rather than saving it.
“I know I’m going to spend it,” Guzman said with a big smile. “At my age, I’m not gonna save it, that’s for sure. My kids are gonna have fun. I’m gonna have fun. That’s the beauty of being this age, you don’t care – money’s money.”
It almost seems as if “money’s money” could be a motto for Publishers Clearing House who has given away $315 Million in prizes since the company began in 1953. The money for prizes comes from company revenues built from mailings and more recently the company’s app that has 10 Million unique visitors daily.
Guzman said that she plays online at the companies website, thus the sleeping in.
“Since 1985 I’ve been playing with (Publishers Clearing House),” said Guzman when asked how long she’s been playing.
Gloria’s husband Mike said that Gloria play’s the sweepstakes because she doesn’t care that the chances are slim.
“She’s the one that’s had all the luck,” said the retired mail carrier. “I guess because of her hope and faith – and she doesn’t care about the odds.”
When Mike was asked about his wife’s claim that he often discouraged her from playing the sweepstakes, he claimed that wasn’t so.
“I never really discouraged her,” said Mike Guzman with a big smile, eyes still red from tears. “She always did what she wanted anyway.”
Whether he did or did not, it’s probably safe to say that he definitely will not now.
