Lucky local wins $10k Glebe Spree grand prize
By Trevor Greenway
When Daniel Creighton spotted three Glebe Spree ballots sitting in his car in early January, he thought he had lost his chance to win a $10,000 shopping spree. But because he does most of his shopping in the Glebe, he still had one single ballot in the running.
And when his Glebe Spree ballot was plucked from the massive pile, he couldn’t believe it.
“I had no idea,” said a jubilant Creighton during a cheque presentation on January 14 at Audi City Ottawa. “When I got the call, I thought it was spam and then they sent the documentation and I was like, ‘okay, this is real.’”
But before his ballot was pulled, he was getting the gears from his wife at home for forgetting to submit the family’s additional ballots that he’d promised he would drop off before the December 31 deadline. They’re still sitting in the car.
“My wife and my sister-in-law had ballots that they asked me to put in and I had accidently forgotten to do it, so I was getting a little bit of flack for that,” he added through chuckles. “But it clearly worked out. Who would have thought?”
The local couple has lived in the Glebe for the past three years and love the butcher, baker, candlestick maker-vibe you get in the neighbourhood. Everything they need is within steps of their home – from clothing and dining options to services and entertainment galore. But what appeals to Creighton most is the level of service you get from Glebe retailers that you won’t get online. His winning ballot was submitted at Glebe Trotters.
“The reason I go to Glebe Trotters is because, obviously they are local and they sell the shoes I want, but I like the service that they provide,” said Creighton. “I could have ordered online, I could have gone to a big store, but I wanted to support the local store.”
With Creighton’s wife returning to school, the prize money couldn’t have come at a better time. It will likely go towards groceries and new textbooks from Octopus Books, but not before he treats friends and family to a few dinners at CRAFT Beer Market, Local Public Eatery and his “favourite by far,” Anthony’s Pizza.
“We live in the Glebe, we spend time and money in the Glebe, so this will obviously go back into the community,” added Creighton. “We love it here.”
This year’s Glebe Spree was the most successful contest to date, with a record 38,000-plus ballots being entered into the contest. Representatives on hand to award the grand prize included Glebe Spree sponsors Rebecca McKeen of McKeen Metro Glebe, Audi City Ottawa Executive Vice President Liza Mrak and Operations Manager Melanie Mock, and Glebe BIA Executive Director Andrew Peck.
“Hearing the stories of the Glebe Spree winners and seeing their excitement is a major highlight for us year after year,” said Peck. “And seeing it grow in popularity once again is just the icing on the cake.”
In addition to the $10,000 grand prize Glebe shopping spree, this year’s contest also boasted five weekly cash draws of $1,000 and more than 30 Any-Day Prize giveaways. Weekly $1,000 winners included Alex Stecky-Efantis, Kelly Kilrea, Darlene Charron, Marjorie McLean and Leila Metcalf.
The Glebe BIA would like to thank the more than 160 businesses who participated this year. Thank you also to contest sponsors McKeen Metro Glebe and Audi City Ottawa, and all the businesses who contributed Any Day Prizes.
Finally, a massive thank you goes out to all the loyal customers who continue to support local businesses and help this contest grow year after year.
Trevor Greenway is responsible for communications at the Glebe BIA (Business Improvement Area).