A Millarville woman who’s giving her $1 million plus home away in a letter-writing contest is extending the deadline as long as possible.
Despite her initial plan to end the Write a Letter, Win a Home Contest on May 5, Alla Wagner decided last week to extend the contest for as long as her legal contract allows, to July 5, after Facebook disabled the account she was operating the contest from, stating in an email that it closed because of a complaint that it was fake.
After Wagner made several pleas to reopen the account to the social networking website, it was restored on Wednesday.
The disabled account was among many hurdles Wagner faced since implementing the contest on Jan. 5, from fake accounts generated to personal threats.
“It’s a challenge to me to bring it to the very end,” she admitted on Tuesday. “I’m the kind of person that doesn’t give up. This way I’ll know 100 per cent that I’ve done everything I could. I still have faith that it’s going to work out.”
The Facebook account closure was the biggest hit for Wagner since initiating the contest, which invites people to write creatively about what owning her custom-built 4,000 square foot, two-storey 2011 home would mean to them.
“This was not just any regular page,” she said. “The page had given hundreds of thousands of people hope. Thousands of dollars I spent on boosting important posts.”
The contest charges $25 per entry. If Wagner receives less than 68,000 entries, which covers the houses’ $1.7 million asking price, she said she will refund everyone’s money. Wagner would not reveal how many letters she’s received to date.
After extending the original April 5 deadline, Wagner said the hundreds of daily entries dwindled to as little as 40. Most entries are from within Alberta.
“There is no way that, at this tempo, we’re reaching the goal,” she said. “I need at least 100 entries per day for this to work.”
According to a legal contract Wagner created for the contest, she cannot extend the contest beyond July 5, nor change the price or submission limit.
“I’ve called every taxation agency and talked to accountants and did all of the math to create those terms and conditions,” she said.
Wagner said her contest not only gives hope to thousands of people, but has prompted others to follow suite, such as the contest to win the Cobblestone Manor bed and breakfast in Cardston.
“This is going viral,” she said. “I love it that people are doing what they can do to remedy the way the economy is.”
If 68,000 entries are received by July 5, Wagner will narrow them down to 500 and a panel of judges consisting of realtors and neighbours will select a winner.
For more details or to enter the contest, go to www.writealetterwinahome.ca
