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Westhampton Beach resident Gary Martin got the surprise of his life a few weeks ago when his wife, Tracy, informed him that he had just won a brand new car.
The lifelong New York Yankees fan then received even better news: Tracy told him that the keys to the vehicle would be presented to him by Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter—on the field of the new Yankees Stadium prior to a home game.
“I never won a thing in my life,” said Mr. Martin, adding that he was shocked by the news.
Mr. Martin was the grand prize winner of Ford’s Drive One Home Sweepstakes, and is now the proud owner of a 2010 Ford Taurus SHO Special Yankees Edition. Mr. Martin was presented with the car, valued at $42,300, during a ceremony at Yankee Stadium held just prior to the September 15 home game against the Toronto Blue Jays.
The white four-door sedan, which bears the Yankee’s signature blue pinstripes and NY insignia, was on the field at Yankee Stadium last Tuesday. The Martins picked up their prize at a car dealership in Connecticut this past weekend.
Ms. Martin said she saw a commercial for the contest, which was sponsored by the Tri-State Ford Dealers Association, and decided on a whim to enter both her and her husband’s name on the Yankee’s website. The contest was open to all legal residents of Connecticut, New Jersey and New York who are 18 and over. There was no charge to enter. Contestants also had the option of entering at local Ford dealerships.
Ms. Martin explained that she forgot about the entry and was surprised when she received a call a few weeks later.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Ms. Martin said. Thinking it was a scam, she said she consulted with a friend who is an attorney and learned that her husband had really won the car. “It was for real,” she said.
Ms. Martin was told that the odds of winning the contest were about one in 75,000.
She explained that she would often overhear commercials for the contest while she surfed the internet as her husband watched the Yankees on television. “All summer long they were having the commercials,” Mr. Martin said. “I knew someone had to win it.”
Mr. Martin was brought onto the field at Yankees Stadium just prior to last Tuesday’s game. He was joined by Ford CEO Alan Mulally, Ford General Manager of Sales Randy Ortiz, Ford dealer and Tri-State Ford Dealers Association President Alan Paladino and, of course, Derek Jeter.
“The car will be driven around, up to home plate,” Mr. Paladino said just prior to the ceremony while on his way to the stadium last Tuesday afternoon. “Then we will put him in the car and he will wave to everybody.”
Mr. Paladino added that Mr. Martin had to complete the paperwork at a Ford dealer in Connecticut before taking the vehicle home last weekend.
Ms. Martin and her husband were also given tickets to two skybox seats, valued at $60 each, to last week’s game. Their 23-year-old daughter Kelly also attended the game though she sat in a different section.
“I just can’t wait to get to Yankee Stadium,” said Mr. Martin, who had not yet visited the new stadium prior to accepting his car.
Ms. Martin explained that, before last Tuesday’s visit, her family had not been to the old Yankee Stadium since 1995.
A self-described “pickup truck kind of guy,” Mr. Martin said he is not sure how he feels about all the extra attention that his new car will be sure to bring. “I’m a low-profile person,” he said.
