Why we’re waiting so long for the prize winners & how to fix it

metal heron from Henry's Gardens in Eden NY
A metal Regal Art heron for the garden, 44 inches tall, from Henry’s Gardens. Photo courtesy Henry’s Gardens

by Connie Oswald Stofko

Why are we waiting so long to announce the prize winners?

Because I need to clean up my list of subscribers.

Some people who subscribed don’t open the weekly emails, and they don’t even open the email that tells them that they won a stupendous prize!

To fix this problem, I will be working on my list and will delete people who rarely open my weekly emails. Don’t worry; if someone is deleted but would like to come back, they can resubscribe for free.

That should make next year’s prize drawing even more exciting.

And—cross our fingers—I will have the list of the winners next week. Thanks for your patience!

This year’s prizes

Mischler's prize basket in Williamsville NY
A gift basket full of items any gardener would love, plus a $20 gift certificate from Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses. (Items will vary.) Photo courtesy Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses

Our prizes come from our wonderful sponsors. If you are one of the three lucky winners, you’ll get all of these:

Official contest rules for the spring 2024 prize package

soap from Lockwood's Greenhouses in Hamburg NY
Organic sea salt soap and handwash, along with a $30 gift certificate from Lockwood’s Greenhouses. Photo courtesy Lockwood’s Greenhouses

1. To enter, subscribe to Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com. If you are already subscribed, you are already entered.

2. The last day to enter is Tuesday, March 19, 2024.

3. The winners will be chosen by random on Wednesday, March 20, 2024 from all subscribers who meet the qualifications.

4. To qualify, the entry must include a working email address. If the email address is a nonexistent address, if Constant Contact is blocked by the user, if the user’s mailbox is full or if there is some other impediment to the user being reached by Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com via email, the entry will be disqualified.

5. If you are chosen as a winner, you will be notified via email by Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com.

6. You must respond to the email by 7 p.m. Friday, March 22, 2024 to let us know that you have received the notification and are prepared to pick up your prizes. If we don’t hear from you by 7 p.m. Friday, March 22, we will choose another winner.

sunflower mug and more from Urban Roots Cooperative Garden Market
A sunflower theme with a trivet, bag and mug, plus a $20 gift certificate from Urban Roots Cooperative Garden Market 428 Rhode Island St., Buffalo. Photo courtesy Urban Roots Cooperative Garden Market

7. We will ask you to respond with your name and the town you live in so that we can use your name and town in an article in an upcoming edition of Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com announcing that you were a winner, as well as in other promotions. Winners must agree to the use of their names and town for promotion purposes. We won’t share your street address or email address.

8. You must pick up your prizes at the various locations that are providing the prizes by the date specified:

  • Schedule delivery of the Lakeside Sod Big Yellow Bag by calling Lakeside Sod at 716-741-2877 no later than Friday, May 31, 2024. You must be within Lakeside Sod’s delivery area to receive the prize.
  • Pick up the Lockwood’s prize at Lockwood’s Greenhouses, 4484 Clark St., Hamburg, NY. Pick up the prize by Saturday, May 4, 2024.
  • Pick up the Mischler’s prize at Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, 118 South Forest Rd., Williamsville, NY. Pick up the prize by Saturday, May 4, 2024. Please call Mischler’s at 716-632-1290 before you stop by.
  • Pick up the Henry’s Gardens prized at Henry’s Gardens, 7884 Sisson Hwy., Eden, NY. Pick up the prize by Monday, May 6, 2024.
  • Pick up the Urban Roots prize at Urban Roots Cooperative Garden Market, 428 Rhode Island St., Buffalo. Pick up the prize by Sunday, May 5, 2024.
  • The membership to the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens will be sent to you via U.S. postal mail. When we email you to notify you that you are a winner, we will ask you for your postal mailing address.
BigYellowBag from Lakeside Sod
A Big Yellow Bag containing a full cubic yard of great soil delivered to your home from Lakeside Sod. Image courtesy Lakeside Sod

9. Each winner will receive a Big Yellow Bag containing a full cubic yard of soil from Lakeside Sod; a gift basket of gardening supplies and a $20 gift certificate from Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses; a mug, trivet, bag and $20 gift certificate from Urban Roots Cooperative Garden Market; organic sea salt soap and handwash, along with a $30 gift certificate from Lockwood’s Greenhouses, and a one-year family membership to the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens. If you are already a Botanical Gardens member, your membership will be extended one year. Each of the three prize packages is worth approximately $525.

10. Winners from previous years cannot win again. No person can win more than once.

11. All taxes relative to the prize package are the sole responsibility of the winner. No prize substitutions, assignments or transfers. No cash equivalents.

12. No purchase is necessary to enter or win. All federal, state, local and municipal laws apply. Void where prohibited.

flower outside at Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens
A one-year family membership to the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens. If you are already a Botanical Gardens member, your membership will be extended one year! Photo by Connie Oswald Stofko

13. The contest is open to everyone with the exception of employees of Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com, Henry’s Gardens, Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, Lockwood’s Garden Center, Lakeside Sod, the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens and Urban Roots Cooperative Garden Market.

14. This contest is sponsored by Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com. By participating, all entrants acknowledge and agree that they have entered the contest of their own free will, that the full rules and details of the contest have been made available to them in writing and they therefore understand and agree that Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com, Henry’s Gardens, Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses, Lockwood’s Garden Center, the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, Lakeside Sod, Urban Roots Cooperative Garden Market, their agents, affiliates, sponsors, representatives or employees do not have any liability with respect to any damages out of acceptance and use of a prize. By entering this promotion, participants agree to be bound by these rules.

12 Comments on “Why we’re waiting so long for the prize winners & how to fix it

  1. Well better odds for those of us who thoroughly enjoy this and save many of the articles in it for reference. Good luck to those of us who do read it. We are anxiously waiting to be notified.

  2. Who are the prize winners? I’ve been looking, but can not find out who they are?

  3. The prizes are wonderful. I checked my email constantly hoping I was one of the winners. Congratulations to all who won. We’re jealous!!

  4. Hi Camille, thanks for the kind words! Yes, you get the magazine each Tuesday, and it comes via email. That’s what I mean by the weekly emails.

  5. Connie, first I wanted to thank you. This online magazine is a highlight of my day each time I get a new one. But I don’t get a weekly email. I only get the magazines.

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