Lake Michigan Credit Union (LMCU) is pleased to announce that Joel Walrath of Farmington Hills, Michigan is the winner of LMCU’s sixth annual Home Makeover Giveaway.
This year’s grand prize was doubled from previous years to $50,000, and generated a record +529,000 entries submitted online, at branch locations, social media sites and LMCU ATMs.
Walrath’s winning entry was selected in a random drawing on Monday, June 11. Joel and his wife Alena made multiple submission over the entry window that ran from March 1 to May 21, 2018.
The Walraths, LMCU members both, were presented with a check for $50,000 on June 14 at LMCU’s Farmington Hills branch, surrounded by dozens of branch and LMCU marketing department staffers.
LMCU President and CEO, Sandra Jelinski, made the notification call, a job she clearly enjoys. “It’s such a pleasure to hand over a large check to a young, hard-working family that you know will benefit greatly. I always enjoy contacting the sweepstakes winners and hearing the surprise and excitement in their voices.”
Walrath said, “I missed the initial call and received two voice mail messages. Then my wife got a call and urged me, ‘You have to call Sandy back!’ I said, ‘Sandy? Sandy who?’ I figured it out soon enough. But it took a while for it all to sink in, I kept saying to myself, no…this can’t be us!”
The Walraths have been married for four years and have a 15-month old son. Joel works in health services at a local retirement center. His wife Alena is a full time mom. In the near term, the Walraths have plans to remodel their kitchen, and perhaps a bathroom or two.
LMCU’s promotional campaign stretched across multiple media, including television, radio, print, outdoor, point of sale (POS), internet, social networks and member communications.
LMCU Senior Vice President of Marketing, Don Bratt, said, “Over 529,000 entries is high testament to the level of engagement we have with our prospects and members. This annual giveaway is a great way for LMCU to build awareness in the communities we serve, and to build energy and excitement at the branch level. And it’s wonderful to see such a deserving family win this year’s sweepstakes.”
The Walraths receive their $50,000 prize at LMCU’s Farmington Hill, MI branch.
Pictured left to right: Alex Clayson (District Manager), Tania Elonzae (Branch Manager), winner Joel Walrath and family, Don Bratt (Senior VP, Marketing), and Matt Cook (VP, Community Relations).