Mother of Five Wins $5,000 in Minnesota Quit-Smoki...( MINNEAPOLIS Nov. 25 /- Sandy Spindler...),Health

MINNEAPOLIS, Nov. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Sandy Spindler had five good reasons to quit smoking -- her children. Last night, the Tyler, Minn., mother of five was awarded the $5,000 grand prize in the first ever QuitCash Challenge, a quit-smoking contest sponsored by ClearWay Minnesota(SM) and QUITPLAN Services. More than 2,500 Minnesotans, including Sandy, attempted to quit tobacco use during October for a chance to win.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081125/AQTU534)

Sandy was honored for her success in quitting smoking during the first period break of the Minnesota Wild game at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn. More than 30 contest participants and supporters gathered in a suite dubbed the "Quitters' Box" to celebrate their smoke-free success. In addition to the $5,000 grand prize, two other contest participants received $1,000 Gander Mountain gift cards and 10 more received free luxury suite tickets to the hockey game.

Although the $5,000 grand prize served as an incentive to quit and stay tobacco-free, Sandy said her principal motivation came from her five children. "They would always tell me 'please don't smoke; it's bad for you,'" she said. When asked what tips she'd give others trying to quit, she offered this advice: "Think positive, and try not to think about [smoking]. Just take it one day at a time."

"We were excited to present Sandy with the $5,000 grand prize and wish her luck in her quest to stay tobacco-free," said David Willoughby, Chief Executive Officer at ClearWay Minnesota. "While $5,000 is big motivator to quit tobacco use, the average pack-a-day smoker can save approximately $1,800 every year by quitting -- and that is just the cost of cigarettes."

Willoughby added, "We encourage Minnesota tobacco users looking to quit to use QUITPLAN Services any time of
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