Last chance for ‘X-Mas treat’

Today is the cutoff for you to send entries for our annual ‘Christmas Treat’ contest. You can bring your entries straight to The STAR office up to 5 p.m.

The prizes we’re putting together for you are some of the biggest we’ve assembled in years.

We’ll pick out 30 unique winners, meaning no multiple winners. Donations continue to pour in from generous sponsors so the final list of prizes is still being finalized. We guarantee that each winner will receive a cartful of goodies, including basketballs, foodstuff, sports apparel, body lotion, sports magazines, backpacks and lots, lots more.

We just got a call from a representative of Mikee Romero of Harbour Centre Port Terminal, Inc., confirming a contribution of P10,000 cash, gym bags, ballpens and keychains. If the prizes come through, we’ll give the cash–the entire amount–to our first prize winner.

We’ll announce who the 30 winners are in tomorrow’s column.

To refresh your memory, here’s what to do to join the contest. Just answer the following questions: (1) Who is the new Southeast Asian (SEA) Games record holder in hammer throw (he won the gold medal in the SEA Games this year)? (2) How many times has the Philippines hosted the SEA Games? (3) Who is the Philippine Basketball Association’s slam dunk champion?

Additionally, our friends from the National Basketball Association (NBA) are giving away bonus prizes to five winners who answer this question correctly–Who is the Detroit Pistons’ new coach this season? The NBA is contributing three NBA black overnight bags, a coffee table book Basketball’s Best Shots autographed by commissioner David Stern and an NBA Spalding agenda file/notebook. None of the NBA prizes is available in the local market.

Readers must answer the questions correctly and send their answers on a slip of paper to The STAR. Write down your name, address, telephone number, occupation (if student, your year, course and school) and signature. Insert the slip of paper with a clipping of an original (not a copy) STAR masthead (only from the front page) and send to ‘A Christmas Treat, ‘A Sporting Chance,’ Philippine STAR Sports, 13th/Oca Streets, Port Area, Metro Manila. Each entry must be accompanied by a clipping of the masthead.

So far, our prizes are ESPN shirts, caps, notebooks and mousepads from Lorenzo Manguiat of Pro Solutions, caps, shirts and backpacks from Jay Gervasio of ProStar Sports, basketballs from Philippine Sports Commission chairman Butch Ramirez, caps, bags, ballpens and water containers from Philippine Basketball League commissioner Chino Trinidad, Molten basketballs and Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Annuals from PBA commissioner Noli Eala, assorted sports magazines from Jonalyn Baguillas of Emerald Headway, Talk ‘N’ Text Phone Pals backpacks from team manager Frankie Lim, basketballs, E-Cow stuff toys and sippers from Alaska team manager Joaqui Trillo, PBA puzzles from Shell’s Bobby Kanapi, canned goods from Purefoods’ Rene Pardo, umbrellas, towels, backpacks, pillows and loot bags from Air 21’s Lito Alvarez, bags, a book and an agenda file/notebook from the NBA, shirts, caps and Skechers calendars from No Fear’s Tommy Ong, body lotion from Dioceldo Sy of DSS Productmakers, Accel shirts and caps from Sporteum chairman Philip Go and president Willie Ortiz, Molten basketballs, SEA Games commemorative shirts, badminton rackets and volleyballs from Sonia Trading’s Anil Buxani and gym bags from The STAR’s CEO and president Miguel Belmonte.

Additionally, we’ve received confirmation from more sponsors for prizes–Planet Sports’ Anton Gonzalez, Avia’s Jerry Go, And 1’s Bob Bachmann (jackets, CDs), Joy Buensalido of Buensalido and Associates, Harbour Centre’s Mikee Romero, San Miguel Corp.’s Robert Non, Coca-Cola’s Hector Calma, Philippine Football Federation’s Johnny Romualdez, Nike Timing’s Judith Staples, Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association’s Go Teng Kok, Red Bull’s Tony Chua and Nike’s Mae Dichupa.

As a bonus, the PBA’s slam dunk champion Nino (KG) Canaleta will personally hand out the prizes to our 30 winners at The STAR office on a date to be announced later.

Don’t hesitate. Send in your entries today for the chance to take home a Christmas treat. And to our generous sponsors, a million thanks for making this Christmas more special for the STAR’s readers.