Gringo‘s Mexican Kitchen held its annual holiday promotion, 25 Days of Gringo’s Giving, and one lucky winner was drawn for the ultimate prize—a trip for two to Mexico on behalf of the popular Houston-area Tex-Mex restaurant.
The promotion, named 25 Days of Gringo’s Giving, started Nov. 30 and ended on Christmas Eve. It consisted of 25 straight days of giveaways, prizes, and trivia questions posted to Gringo‘s Facebook page.
People all over Houston (and throughout the state) answered questions for small daily prizes such as T-shirts or cooking sets, but everyone‘s attention was on the challenge for the 25th Day: a last-minute, 11-item scavenger hunt that landed the lucky winner a trip for two to a Mexico destination of their choice.
It was a stroke of luck that Tina Demmon, of Pasadena, even entered.
She and her daughter, Sarah Young, along with her daughter‘s friend, Jessica Demasi, were out having drinks when Demasi mentioned the contest. None of them had participated in the daily giveaways up to that point, but the trip prize was right around the corner.
“It was 9:30 p.m. on Monday night–just two nights before the deadline–and we just decided, ‘Let‘s do it!’” Demmon says.
Demmon, Young, and Demasi rallied together and started that very night. First was a trip to her mother‘s house to create a “human pyramid” and photograph the wobbly evidence. Then, they were off to find a Houston fireman willing to pose with them for another photo.
The search continued with more adventures for random scavenger hunt items (a pack of gum, a receipt from Wal-Mart), until Demmon had compiled all her items and sealed her carefully marked package at 11:30 p.m. that same night.
Gringo‘s announced the winner on its Facebook page, but Demmon didn‘t find out until her daughter called to tell her she had won.
“I couldn‘t believe it,” Demmon says. “What a great way to start the new year–a free trip to Mexico!”
Demmon chose a cruise from Galveston to Mexico for May 2012.
“I can't thank Gringo‘s enough for putting a smile back on my face,” she says. “Every time my husband and I talk about our trip, I smile!”
Demmon was one of 13 other contestants vying for the ultimate vacation prize, with almost 400 people competing for the daily giveaways.
