“It’s A Wonderful Life” In Iowa

I’m so jazzed to bring you the first details about a contest we’ll hold this holiday season to celebrate the classic movie “It’s A Wonderful Life” and Iowa’s own Donna Reed. 

Each holiday season, the Iowa Lottery sells a set of games with winter and holiday themes to help everyone get in the spirit of the season. (Shameless marketing plug: Remember that lottery tickets make great gifts!) Among this year’s holiday games will be the $2 “It’s A Wonderful Life” scratch game that you see to the right. You likely already know that one of the movie’s stars was Denison native Donna Reed.

We’re working with the Donna Reed Foundation in Denison to bring you a fun holiday contest that gives you the chance to do look-alikes of George and Mary Bailey, the main characters in “It’s A Wonderful Life”!

A quick primer if you haven’t seen the 1946 movie, which has become an annual staple of the holidays: The film takes place in the fictional town of Bedford Falls shortly after World War II. It stars James Stewart as George Bailey, a man who is considering committing suicide on Christmas Eve and gains the attention of his guardian angel, Clarence (Henry Travers), who is sent to help him in his hour of need. Donna Reed plays Mary Bailey, George’s wife. Much of the film is told through flashbacks spanning George's life. The film is narrated by Franklin and Joseph, unseen angels who are preparing Clarence for his mission to save George. Through the flashbacks, we see all the people whose lives have been touched by George and the difference he has made to the community in which he lives.

In celebration of our It’s A Wonderful Life game, we’re giving you the chance to win prizes and be seen by millions of Iowans as you do your best look-alikes of George and Mary Bailey!

We’ll hold three competitions around the state to find Iowa’s best Georges and best Marys. Photos and videos of the two regional winners (one George, one Mary) from each event will go on the Iowa Lottery’s Web site at www.ialottery.com, where the public will be able to vote on its favorite “couple.” There will be prizes at each regional competition and the public’s favorite George and Mary will each receive $500 cash from the lottery, plus bragging rights, of course!

The look-alike events will be:
6 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 5, at Merle Hay Mall in Des Moines.
2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6, at Lindale Mall in Cedar Rapids.
2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 7, at Southern Hills Mall in Sioux City.

The overall winners will be announced on Friday, Dec. 19.

So dig out your best “George Bailey” overcoat, find your best “Mary Bailey” string of pearls, do your hair up in 1940s fashion, and we’ll see you at our look-alike events! We’ll have more information as things get closer, so check back here! And forward this blog entry to your friends and family, if you can. We hope to see lots of look-alikes!         

Comments

[Mary Neubauer]

Hi, Chalis. Thanks so much for commenting to our blog. Just as a quick FYI, our VIP Club for the Iowa Lottery has a lot of the same features that you got as a VIP Club member in Nebraska. We send you special mailings, you get a coupon for a free play on your birthday, and by joining our VIP Club, you are automatically entered in monthly drawings for Lottery Buck coupons that you can use to buy lottery tickets. We give away five sets of $25 in coupons each month to VIP Club members, so be sure to join! You can get all the details about our VIP Club and how to join it by visiting our Web site at www.ialottery.com and clicking on the “VIP Club” link that’s on the left side of the page. I love your idea about having VIP Club members vote on possible game ideas. What a great way to get feedback from people. I’ll pass your suggestion along to folks in our marketing and promotions areas.

Mary Neubauer
ialotteryblog.com

[chalis davis]

Hi..I recently lived in Nebraska a few yrs ago...I belonged to Nebraska lottery..to bad we can't buy lottery tickets or powerball tickets over the net on the lottery sights..also as a VIP with Nebraska lottery we are able from time to time to vote on different scratch tickets comming available..and if the one you chose won you could win free scratch tickets and 4 yrs ago I did..I won %15.00 worth of that scratch ticket...Iowa lottery should do this..also make it where your VIP people can win second chance drawings over the net..just an idea..thank you