We received many, many entries for the first of our NRG/Plant City Times & Observer Florida Strawberry Festival ticket giveaways. Some made us laugh, while others tugged at our heartstrings.
In the end, Rachel Green’s entry stood out above the rest:
“I am thrilled to get the chance to share my special story with you,” Rachel wrote. “Many of my favorite memories are set at the Florida Strawberry Festival, none more so than falling in love for the first and only time in my life.
“I was 22 years old, an employee at Sunshine State Federal Savings and Loan,” she wrote. “I was volunteering that day at the festival on the trams. I had gone to the Plant City High School Raider Band pie and cheesecake booth for a delicious treat, when I ran into an old flame, who just so happened to be Matthew Green, the band director at the time. He treated me to a slice of cheesecake, and we chatted a little. That night, we ran into each other again at the Aaron Tippin concert. He took me aside after the concert and told me what a mistake he had made letting me getaway when we previously dated and asked if he could see me again. I was thrilled! I had never had feelings for anyone else, and I never would.
“Ten months later, Matt took me back to the pie booth, got down on one knee, slipped a ring on my finger and asked me to be his wife,” Rachel wrote. “To which I replied at the top of my lungs, ‘Absolutely!’ We have spent every moment since building our lives together and are beyond blessed with a beautiful family. Every year, the festival is a reminder to us of how great it is to live here, with these people, our family and friends, and of our love for each other.”
Congratulations, Rachel! For those who didn’t win, stay tuned! We will have more chances to win tickets in the next few days!
ORIGINAL POST
Youth pop band NRG and the Plant City Times & Observer are teaming up to give one lucky family a night of Florida Strawberry Festival fun!
This Family Fun Pack includes two adult tickets, two youth tickets, four strawberry shortcake tickets and four reserved seats to NRG’s Florida Strawberry Festival performance, which will take place at 7 p.m. Monday, March 3, on the Paradise Grilling Systems Variety Stage.
To enter, just email Editor Michael Eng, meng@plantcityobserver.com, and tell us about your favorite Florida Strawberry Festival memory. Subject line: NRG Ticket Giveaway.
Deadline to enter is 11:59 p.m. Monday, Feb. 24. We’ll notify the winner by noon Tuesday, Feb. 25.
For more information about NRG, visit its website or LIKE the singers on Facebook!
We’ll have more ticket giveaways throughout this year’s festival, so to stay up to date, LIKE the Plant City Times & Observer on Facebook!