• The Winning Ticket

    Joyce Cranmer was the last person to buy her ticket to the workshop.

    “It was 6:00 Friday night and we had just gotten back from setting up at the Convention Center. There were eight messages on the office phone,” says RSVPstyle’s Kara Wagner. “When I called Joyce back, she said, ‘Are there any tickets left? My friend and I want to come.’ I told her we were sold out, but we could get her a couple of tickets. She just felt so lucky.”

    At Saturday’s workshop, Joyce was one of the last people to drop her game card into the drawing box. Then Cathy Lee called Kara onstage to model the Grand Prize: a $10,000 necklace glittering with five carats worth of white and natural yellow diamonds.

    Recognizing Kara from their phone conversation, Joyce perked up in her seat. Then Cathy drew the winning game card: “And the winner is … Joyce Cranmer!”

    Joyce shrieked and jumped three feet in the air. Next to her, her friend burst into happy tears. Joyce ran up on stage, straight toward Kara and the necklace.

    “Kara, can you believe it?” she exclaimed. “I’ve never won anything but a tape measure from a hardware store!”

    Jeweler Dale Cripps, who donated the prize, struggled for several minutes to fasten the clasp on a wildly shaking Joyce. Finally the necklace was hers and she was exchanging hugs with Cathy and Dale.

    “It was amazing. I was hoping my girlfriend was going to win it, and she was hoping I was going to win it,” Joyce said. “This necklace is beautiful, it’s exquisite—thank you!”

    Congratulations, Joyce!

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