Laura Edington
Richmond County Daily Journal
The winner of the Search for Santa Contest in Hamlet was officially announced Monday. The winner of the $500 cash prize, pulled on Saturday, is Braxton Butler of Hamlet. Butler is 9-years-old and a student at Fairview Heights Elementary School.
Braxton’s name was randomly selected out of approximately 100 entries by Hamlet City Councilman Dewey Brower.
“It was so much fun seeing children wander through the streets of Hamlet,” said Miranda Chavis, museum manager of Hamlet Depot & Museums and downtown coordinator for the City of Hamlet.
“Ultimately, the Search for Santa Contest encouraged people to explore Hamlet’s wonderful downtown businesses,” Chavis said.
Created and organized by Amy Guinn, owner of Cafe on Main, the contest was thought of after Guinn read about different contests in other publications. “I just tailored it to Hamlet,” Guinn said.
“I was trying to get some traffic in downtown Hamlet,” she said.
Residents searched in 16 businesses over an eight day period for the pint-sized stuffed Santa. Clues about Santa’s location were posted daily on the Hamlet Depot & Museums’ facebook page, the Cafe on Main facebook page, were tweeted @Hamlet_Depot, and were available by contacting the Hamlet Visitors Center.
The 16 businesses that participated were the Hamlet Depot & Museums, PNC Bank, Cafe on Main, Razzle Dazzle Boutique, Main Street Central, Second Time Around, Birmingham Drug, Bobby’s Furniture, Lin’s Gifts, Hamlet Florist, BB&T Bank, Joe’s Florist, The Grab, Treasures Reappear, The Yard Sale, and Mabry’s Drug.
Each time a person spotted Santa in one of the participating businesses, they would receive a ticket. Once they received three tickets and turned those in at the Hamlet Visitors Center, their name was entered into a drawing for the cash prize.
The Visitors Center, the newest addition to the Museum Complex, was the first building to participate in the contest.
Residents were allowed to participate multiple times.
Braxton picked up his prize from the Hamlet Visitors Center on Monday, and when asked what he will do with the money he said, “Spend it.” He said he was “very excited,” to win.
— Staff Writer Laura Edington can be reached at 910-997-3111, ext. 18, or by email at ledington@heartlandpublications.com.
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