TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — “Is that me?” a woman working at a prize drawing event asked when she answered her phone on Wednesday (Dec. 1).
The person on the other end, Taitung County Commissioner Yao Ching-ling (饒慶鈴), stood only yards away. She was calling to tell the woman she was the lucky winner of a NT$100,000 (US$3,610) cash prize.
The episode was related to an activity held by the Taitung County Government to encourage shopping. Anyone who had shopped in Taitung and uploaded their Uniform Invoices to register for the activity was eligible for the drawing, which was held at the county government building on Wednesday, CNA reported.
After all the prizes had been awarded, Yao, who was presiding over the event, announced an extra cash prize of NT$100,000. She then proceeded to draw it out, before calling the winner to notify them of the good news.
The winner, surnamed Peng (彭), stood at the entrance of the county government building taking temperatures. “Did I hit the jackpot, this is my phone,” she asked the commissioner.
“Congratulations on winning the prize!” she was told in return.
Attendees of the event were marveling at what had just happened. When reporters asked Peng how she felt about winning the cash prize, she said she felt shocked.
Peng said that she had lost her job due to COVID-19. Currently, she is working under a government program that gives people with employment impacted by the pandemic hourly paid jobs.
The lucky winner said that when her phone rang, she could hear the music in the same room through the line. She then walked over to the emcee and verified her stroke of good luck.
According to the county government, Wednesday’s event was held to draw out 38 winners from consumers who registered from Nov. 12 - 30. The other prizes included Gogoro electric scooters and iPhones, the report said.
