THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, January 4, 1996 TAG: 9512300183
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DAWSON MILLS, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines
Most holiday shoppers look for bargains, to save money.
But Carmen Payton, 35, of the 8200 block of Gygax Road, in Oakdale Farms, did more than that. She saved her receipts and entered them in Southern Shopping Center's holiday Customer Reward Program.
``She saves everything,'' said her husband, Mike, 47.
On Dec. 27, her saving ways came in handy when her entry was selected as the winner in the shopping center's promotion, entitling her to a refund of the amount of her receipts up to $500. She thought they totaled only $497.96 but when Pat Barham of the Southern Shopping Center Merchant's Association, sponsor of the contest, totaled them on her calculator, they came to $506.65, making her eligible for the full amount.
Barham called Carmen at Tidewater Dodge, where she works as a title clerk, to break the good news. Barham then visited Carmen's office to deliver her prize, plus a little more.
``I took her a dozen yellow roses, a `Congratulations' balloon, and five $100 bills, as new as I could get from the bank,'' Barham said.
Carmen recalled that Barham called twice. The first time they had a bad connection and she asked her to call back.
``She told me who she was and said I'd won,'' said Carmen. ``I said, `You gotta be kidding!' I thought, naw, no way they pulled my name out of there. I always win little stuff; little, piddly stuff in the lottery like a free ticket or five dollars.''
When did she finally believe that she had won?
``When she showed up with five $100 bills,'' said Carmen, laughing. ``I was surprised that they delivered!''
``She said, `It's the first time I've held 5 $100 bills ... and they're mine!' '' said Barham.
Barham explained that the program offered to reimburse the winner for purchases made from merchants at Southern between Nov. 18 and Dec. 24, up to the $500 limit. Entrants had to submit their receipts with their entries. Barham asked a young boy visiting the shopping center with his father, whom she knew only as James, to select the winning entry.
``He said he wanted to pick an envelope that was `fat,' '' Barham said.
Carmen's entry contained receipts from Peebles, Revco, Spertner Jewelers and Food Lion. It was the Food Lion receipts that made it `fat,' she noted, because of dog food purchases for the Payton's 7-year-old Labrador, Friday.
The day after their windfall, the Paytons hadn't decided what to do with the money, other than put it in the bank for safekeeping.
``If it isn't spent first,'' Mike joked. ``It'd make a good down payment for a boat.''
``There's a lot of things we could do, should do, with it,'' said Carmen, a Norfolk native, ``but we'll probably use it for a vacation.''
The Paytons, who have been married 10 years, have an anniversary coming up in May. Both agreed that a trip to Arizona around that time sounded good.
Mike scowled at his wife in mock irritation.
``I still ain't got none of the money,'' he said, grinning.
``You'll get it when it goes into the gas tank for our trip,'' she shot back, smiling. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by DAWSON MILLS
Contest winner Carmen Payton with husband, Mike, and $500 in hand.
by CNB