Five Minnesotans won the chance to compete in a “shopping spree” at the Rapala warehouse in Eagan on June 23, with the top two winners each netting a $5,000 Rapala shopping spree.
Gene Provost from Alexandria and Glenn Henrikson from Moorhead were the $5,000 Rapala fishing spree winners. The other three finalists, Thomas Holst from Eyota, Dawn Walker from Hastings and Marilyn Elkie from St. Michael, each won a $500 Visa® gift card.
To celebrate Minnesota’s love of fishing, the Lottery and Rapala, the world’s leading brand of fishing lures, tackle and equipment, teamed up for the Rapala Fishing Spree promotion. Lottery players entered non-winning Fishin’ for Fortune scratch tickets for their chance to fill specially-designed boat carts with Rapala merchandise. The Lottery received over 10,000 entries for the chance to be one of the five finalists. The two finalists that came closest to gathering $1,000 in Rapala merchandise during the event won their choice of $5,000 in Rapala merchandise. The remaining finalists each won $500 Visa® cards and gift bags.
Provost, an avid angler, was thrilled that he was chosen as a finalist. He and his wife attended the event, but Provost decided to have his “fishing buddy” act as his proxy during the event. “I guess I chose the right guy!” he said with a laugh after winning the $5,000 shopping spree. “This is the first time I’ve ever won anything in my life. It was quite a big surprise. My wife was even more jazzed than I was!”
Henrikson, who also loves to fish, had a strategy. “I tried to think of the average lure price and how many were in a pack. So I had a little thought behind it,” he explained. Henrikson wasn’t sure how he’d spend the $5,000 prize, but did have “a few things picked out.”
Holst said that his girlfriend entered him in the promotion, and it took a while to sink in after he found out that he was a finalist. Even though he didn’t win one of the top prizes, Holst thought the event was fun.
“I love fishing!” said Walker. She said that she was sure she’d win when she entered the promotion and that there was a lot of fishing equipment that she had her eye on.
Elkie said that she was surprised and excited when she learned that she was a finalist, but winning Lottery promotions isn’t new to her. She’s won prizes in two previous promotions.
