Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country
Founded 05-05-05

February 21, 2008 issue

Tammy Guilford Wins 2007 PT Cruiser

High Country United Way-Ross Chrysler Drawing Held on February 14

Story by Corinne Saunders

Valentine’s Day was filled with sweet surprises for Tammy Guilford, a Cheap Joe’s employee.

The managers at Cheap Joe’s cooked the annual Valentine’s Day breakfast for the employees, and after that, Guilford and nine other finalists gathered for the High Country United Way car drawing at Ross Chrysler.

Although she had never won anything except a few dollars from a lottery ticket before, Guilford chose the winning envelope, and the 2007 PT Cruiser, donated by Randy Ross, became her new car.

The weekly winners lined up in the order their car raffle tickets had been selected over the 10-week period and Jason Triplett, High Country United Way campaign manager, let contestants choose from the shuffled envelopes as he walked down the line.

Third in line, Guilford chose the envelope she first set her eyes on.

“When they spread out the envelopes, I had my eye on one,” Guilford said. “When the two ladies in front of me didn’t take it, I picked the one I looked at first.”

She tried to not let herself think she was going to win, she added.

“I knew I was going to walk away with at least a $100 gas card, and that was fine,” Guilford said.

The other nine finalists who won gas cards enthusiastically congratulated Guilford.

“What I really liked was that all the other contestants were so excited when she won,” said High Country United Way Executive Director Jenny Miller.

“Jan Greer [one of the finalists] said she prayed last night that the person who needed it most would win. [Greer] said, ‘I needed it, but she needed it more,’” Miller added.

Another finalist, Mary Louise Roberts, expressed the same sentiments.

“We were all hoping Tammy was going to win,” Roberts said.

Guilford and her 10-year-old son dealt with two deaths over the holidays, and her 1993 Chevrolet Caprice was hard to drive and needed some work done, Guilford said.

“It wasn’t a very good start of the year for us,” Guilford said. “This was a turnaround for us; we’ve been through some hard times.”

“This was just totally a blessing,” she added. “Blue’s my favorite color; it was just picked out for me.”

Miller handed Guilford a pink stuffed bear that she clutched while shaking with disbelief and excitement over the new car.

“I just remember shaking and holding onto the pink bear,” Guilford said. “I was shaking so hard, when I got in the car I couldn’t even get the key in the switch, but it was all wonderful.”

Guilford has since been proudly driving her new car around town, and bought floor mats and seat covers for it, she said.

“I’ll continue to support the United Way,” Guilford said. “I would do that even if I hadn’t won the car; I’ve done that for years.”

“It all goes for a good cause,” she added.

All the money raised by the United Way campaign will go toward its 25 local partner agencies that fund everything from children’s programs to hunger and homelessness to crisis situations in Avery and Watauga counties.

“The car gives a little excitement to the [United Way] campaign and raises awareness in the community,” Miller said.