Hitting the Jackpot
By Jeff Moffitt
@moffittjc (118421)
Gainesville, Florida
November 15, 2017 8:37pm CST
Each year in November, the city I work for has a big lunch gathering to celebrate safety. It is hosted by our Risk Management Department. At the beginning of each year, they have a budget that is used to pay for employee medical bills for workplace injuries. The less injuries there are throughout the year, the less of that budget they have to use. Well, at the end of the year, whatever is not spent out of that budget is given away as cash prizes to employees, as a reward for being safe throughout the year. It's just one of many incentives employees receive to be safe at work throughout the year. Our organization has 2,500 employees, and out of that number, there were only 31 employee incidents/accidents during the year. And of those 31, only 6 resulted in lost work time. But I digress.
So anyway, at the safety luncheon, the Risk Management puts every employee's name in a big barrel, mixes them up, and then draws names for cash prizes. They give out $50, $100, $250, and $500 prizes, with one lucky employee getting a $1000 jackpot! The more money saved from not paying medical bills for workplace injuries, the more that is used toward the prize raffle.
Because I am a salaried manager, I am not eligible for the prize drawings. Only hourly employees get to participate. But, everyone who attends the safety luncheon gets a scratch-card, and if you scratch your card and it says instant winner, you win a Yeti mug. Well, my scratch-card was an instant winner, so I won a Yeti! I was so happy and excited you would have thought that I just won the $1000 jackpot drawing! lol
It's the small things that bring me the most pleasure in life!
How about you? Have you ever won anything in a raffle or prize drawing?
24 people like this
23 responses
@bluesa (15023)
• Johannesburg, South Africa
16 Nov 17
Congrats on winning that Yeti mug! Doesn't matter how big or small a prize is, a win is a win @moffittjc . I won a bottle of champagne and VIP tickets.
2 people like this
@bluesa (15023)
• Johannesburg, South Africa
17 Nov 17
@moffittjc Oh! It was quite a while back. The VIP tickets were for an event at a dance club and I took my best friend at the time with, she had gone through a break up and needed a night out. The champagne is long gone too, but I would like to drink some champagne with you too!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118421)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Nov 17
What were the VIP tickets for? And who was/is your guest? Did you drink the champagne yet? I want to drink some champagne with you!
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118421)
• Gainesville, Florida
20 Nov 17
@bluesa I'm always up for a bottle of champagne!
1 person likes this
@Courtlynn (66921)
• United States
16 Nov 17
Wow that's awesome of you guys! And so glad there wasn't more accidents! Congrats on your mug win.
Yes I have. In October when my mom and I went to the picnic here where we live, we put our names and my brothers in the raffle and we won with his name. Got two $15 giftcards for the bowling alley/ arcade.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118421)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Nov 17
@Courtlynn Yeah, I'm one of those people that wouldn't mind getting a toaster oven or vacuum cleaner as a birthday or Christmas present, because it is something that I need and will use over and over again! haha
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118421)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Nov 17
I always cherish the little wins in my life, things like Yeti mugs, or coffee mugs, or even gift cards. It doesn't take a lot to please me! lol
2 people like this
@Courtlynn (66921)
• United States
17 Nov 17
@moffittjc same. As long as its stuff i can use.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118421)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Nov 17
I would love to win a slow cooker! It's interesting that you mentioned slow cookers, because I was looking at one tonight at the store and trying to decide if I wanted to buy it or not! I chose not to buy one, but I really wouldn't mind having one!
2 people like this
@UmiNoor (4483)
• Malaysia
17 Nov 17
@moffittjc Mine is now sitting idle in the store room. I don't even know if it's still working. I just don't know how to use it.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118421)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Nov 17
@UmiNoor I'm pretty sure you just put food in it and turn it on! That's what is so nice about slow cookers, the simplicity of how to use them!
1 person likes this
@rebelann (111127)
• El Paso, Texas
17 Nov 17
Yepper, to me too @moffittjc course by then I'll be a ghost 
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118421)
• Gainesville, Florida
20 Nov 17
@rebelann Well, if you're a ghost by then, you can scare them into giving you the prize money! lol
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118421)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Nov 17
I think we're all still waiting for the PCH prize! Every now and then I peek my head outside the front door to see if they are standing out there waiting to knock on my door! I'm telling you, it's going to happen one of these days! lol
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (457901)
• Switzerland
17 Nov 17
@moffittjc This prize came without taxes to pay. My father had to change the car and the car came at the right moment.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118421)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Nov 17
@LadyDuck That's nice that the prize came without taxes! That certainly wouldn't be the case here in the US. The government would make you pay taxes on your winnings!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118421)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Nov 17
Wow, a car! That is amazing! I had a friend of mine win a car about 15 years ago. The only bad thing about winning such a large item was that he had to pay a lot of taxes on the prize.
2 people like this
@1creekgirl (40488)
• United States
16 Nov 17
I know you'll enjoy that Yeti! I don't remember winning many prizes like that.
2 people like this
@1creekgirl (40488)
• United States
17 Nov 17
@moffittjc My husband has one, but he really likes the taller one. It keeps his ice water cold all night.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118421)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Nov 17
@1creekgirl I now have two Yeti mugs, one a smaller, shorter one, and the other a taller, fatter one. I do have a nice skinny, tall water bottle by a different brand that is a competitor to Yeti (Hydroflask)
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118421)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Nov 17
I used it for my morning coffee today. It is a big Yeti tumbler, so it holds a lot of liquid, and it did a wonderful job of keeping my coffee hot all morning until I finally was able to drink it all!
2 people like this
@Shellyann36 (11385)
• United States
16 Nov 17
Way back when I worked at a nuclear power plant and each Christmas they had a huge party for every employee at the site. They had drawings for several cash prizes from $100 up to $1500. I won $250 that night. I was ecstatic. That helped me with Christmas for the kids that year.
Those Yeti cups are very nice. One of my older son's got one for Christmas last year at his job.
2 people like this
@Shellyann36 (11385)
• United States
17 Nov 17
@moffittjc Oh that is nice to have both sizes. Congrats on your win.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118421)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Nov 17
It's the second Yeti mug I've received as a gift and/or raffle prize! My first one was much smaller, a 12-oz. mug instead of the 30-oz. mug I won yesterday. Those Yeti mugs sure come in handy for a lot of things!
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118421)
• Gainesville, Florida
20 Nov 17
@Shellyann36 Thanks! They also have a really small size (I think it's 8 or 10 ounces) that I'd also like to get. Kind of have a collection going on! lol
@moffittjc (118421)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Nov 17
Thanks! It felt good. I don't often win a lot of things, so when I do, I have to bask in the glory for a little while! lol
1 person likes this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
16 Nov 17
Sounds like you have a pretty awesome employer! I bet whoever won the $1000 jackpot was equally as excited as you were over your Yeti mug! Congrats!
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118421)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Nov 17
I'm sure the guy who won the $1000 prize was jumping for joy. That will probably pay for a good chunk of his Christmas presents this year!
And I'm perfectly happy with my Yeti I won! I even used it this morning, and I'm planning to take it with me this weekend when my son and I go camping on the beach in St. Augustine, FL.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118421)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Nov 17
@poehere I'm just happy that I won something useful that I will be able to use on a daily basis!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118421)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Nov 17
I'm a big fan of coffee, so this huge Yeti tumbler will be perfect for that morning pot of coffee I need to get me going! And then throughout the rest of the day I can put water in it and it will keep it cold all day long!
1 person likes this
@poehere (15126)
• French Polynesia
17 Nov 17
@moffittjc Sounds like you did hit the jackpot on this one.
1 person likes this
@Poppylicious (11133)
•
16 Nov 17
We won a fandangly radio in a raffle at Husband's works Christmas do one year. That's the most exciting thing I've won in a raffle. I much prefer the prizes I win in online competitions ... I got a £250 voucher for a store where the cheapest item of clothing is about £300 this summer!
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118421)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Nov 17
Congrats on the voucher you won! I never win anything, so I'm perfectly content winning a small prize such as a Yeti tumbler.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325594)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Nov 17
We do quite well from time to time. I know what you're saying about the Yeti mug. We went on a ferry once with a group of friends and one was able to use her newish pension card to pay 50c instead of $1.50 for her ticket. We were all about the same age and we all got tickets for 50c. You would have thought we'd won the jackpot too. We were so excited. 
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118421)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Nov 17
Judy, it's the little things in life that bring us so much pleasure!
2 people like this
@JudyEv (325594)
• Rockingham, Australia
17 Nov 17
@moffittjc That's very true. We'd all do well to remember it.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118421)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Nov 17
@JudyEv Once I realized that my happiness in life wasn't dependent on the size and number of toys I had, it made it easy to appreciate the small things.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
16 Nov 17
Very nice anything Yeti is good.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118421)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Nov 17
I agree! I love Yeti. I wish I would win one of those $500 coolers of theirs.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118421)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Nov 17
I just thought it was funny that all these other employees are winning $1000, $500 and $250 prizes, all I got was a little Yeti mug! But I'm not greedy, I am very pleased to have such a useful item!
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (95001)
• United States
21 Nov 17
Yay! Congratulations on being a winner. I like how your company gives back to it's employees by doing the fun raffles and scratch off games. :)
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (95001)
• United States
22 Nov 17
@moffittjc Ahh gotcha. :) That's a nice motivation, but does the $350 reward get taxed. All the bonuses I get are always taxed 
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118421)
• Gainesville, Florida
22 Nov 17
Well, I work for the government, so technically we can't earn bonuses, so they have to find other ways to "give back" to the employees. We also get a $350 reward if we exercise all year and eat healthy and pass a physical in November. If we stay healthy, it keeps our medical costs down. They return the savings back to us for living a healthy lifestyle.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118421)
• Gainesville, Florida
22 Nov 17
@infatuatedbby Yes, everything gets taxed. Even our clothes (uniforms) that the city provides us.
1 person likes this
@cahaya1983 (11121)
• Malaysia
16 Jan 18
I've never been very lucky at prize drawing, so nope...never won anything. But totally agree with what you said about small things bringing the biggest pleasure in life.
But totally agree with what you said about small things bringing the biggest pleasure in life.1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118421)
• Gainesville, Florida
16 Jan 18
I get excited when I find loose change on the ground! lol Yep, it's the small things in life....
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (137145)
• United States
21 Nov 17
Congratulations, again, Jeff! Yeti makes an excellent insulated mug!
Well, I can't think of anything I've ever won in a drawing or anything like that, but I can think of several things that I've gotten unexpectedly
...
When I came to myLot, I was looking for a site where I could feel at home. The first site I joined online was WebAnswers. I was one of the last Moderators on that site. The site was slowly failing. The owners had no intention of making repairs to it. I was also a member on Bubbs, which was also dying...
You may not believe this, but... well... I am not quite as confident as I may appear on myLot. I was scared when I got here. I didn't know anyone and had no clue what I was doing here. I knew I could "fix" part of that problem myself, by returning to Bubbs and inviting my friends there to join me here. Several of them agreed to make the move.
Then I came back to myLot, determined to understand this site so I could help my friends if/when problems arose. To understand this site, I had to jump in with both feet. That left no room for shyness on my part. I wouldn't let my friends down, though, so I jumped into the first discussion I found and started asking questions...
I KEPT asking questions until I was confident my friends and I could be happy here.
I've been here since September 2015. On that two year journey, I have been given the gift of friendship from so many people I can't even keep count of them all! (Yeah, you might be one of those people, Jeff
.)
Maybe not as exciting as a Yeti Mug, but I'll keep the gift(s) I've been given and share them back with as many people as are interested in having it.
Yeah, I know this is not what you were asking, but.... will you accept this as a viable/valid response on your discussion
?
Well, I can't think of anything I've ever won in a drawing or anything like that, but I can think of several things that I've gotten unexpectedly...
When I came to myLot, I was looking for a site where I could feel at home. The first site I joined online was WebAnswers. I was one of the last Moderators on that site. The site was slowly failing. The owners had no intention of making repairs to it. I was also a member on Bubbs, which was also dying...
You may not believe this, but... well... I am not quite as confident as I may appear on myLot. I was scared when I got here. I didn't know anyone and had no clue what I was doing here. I knew I could "fix" part of that problem myself, by returning to Bubbs and inviting my friends there to join me here. Several of them agreed to make the move.
Then I came back to myLot, determined to understand this site so I could help my friends if/when problems arose. To understand this site, I had to jump in with both feet. That left no room for shyness on my part. I wouldn't let my friends down, though, so I jumped into the first discussion I found and started asking questions...
I KEPT asking questions until I was confident my friends and I could be happy here.
I've been here since September 2015. On that two year journey, I have been given the gift of friendship from so many people I can't even keep count of them all! (Yeah, you might be one of those people, Jeff.)
Maybe not as exciting as a Yeti Mug, but I'll keep the gift(s) I've been given and share them back with as many people as are interested in having it.
Yeah, I know this is not what you were asking, but.... will you accept this as a viable/valid response on your discussion?1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118421)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 Nov 17
I don't remember exactly the time period when Bubblews was heading down the toilet, but about a month before they bit the dust I explored this site. So, for about a month, I was on both myLot and Bubblews. Thankfully, that gave me time to get acclimated before Bubblews finally went under and I was left with myLot full-time. Thankfully, there were many wonderful people I recognized here that had migrated over from Bubblews, so I immediately felt at home!
So...back to your comment. Yes, the Yeti mug is nice and all, but nothing beats friendships, so with that in mind you definitely hit the jackpot here with all the friends you've made along the way!
And thanks for considering me a friend!
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
21 Nov 17
Nice mug and good safety record too. I won a $25 gift certificate recently.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118421)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 Nov 17
I can help you spend that $25 gift certificate if you'd like! We can go out and buy a Yeti mug! haha
1 person likes this
@DianneN (246546)
• United States
17 Nov 17
I have won prizes and money at raffles, some tiny and some huge! Congratulations on winning your Yeti mug. Be ure to bring it to Palm Beach when you visit me. Just think of all the booze we can put in it!!! Everyone will think we are sipping coffee, but we'll fool them
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118421)
• Gainesville, Florida
19 Nov 17
I have a 64-oz Hydroflask growler I can bring. It will look like a big Thermos of coffee! haha
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118421)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Nov 17
I've won small raffles, door prizes, and drawings before, but I've never won a large jackpot!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118421)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Nov 17
@YrNemo Have you heard of the old saying, "It's better to have bad luck than no luck at all?" Yeah, whoever came up with that saying was an idiot! hahaha
1 person likes this
@YrNemo (20261)
•
17 Nov 17
@moffittjc I still feel bad about that winning! I brought it home, only to be told that all the stuff in that basket were full of poisons. I was young at the time and very trusting. I dared not touch anything in that basket (a giant one). I found out with time that I was tricked by my nasty housemate back then. By the time I got wise, everything in that basket had gone bad. (I was so keen to share my 'loots' with my siblings!)
Haven't won anything since! 
(Not a single thing unless you mean bad lucks!)
(Not a single thing unless you mean bad lucks!)1 person likes this
