Where Does Publishers Clearing House Money Come From

UXBRIDGE — It's not every day that someone comes to your door to present you with a $15,000 check.

But that's what happened to Lillian Trottier on Tuesday afternoon, as she was the winner of one of Publishers Clearing House's cash prize sweepstakes.

In addition to selling magazines and other products, part of the Long Island, New York, direct marketing company's business is conducting sweepstakes and free-to-play games online. Cash prizes range from $1,000 to $10 million, and it's estimated that someone wins a prize from the company every 5 minutes.

Members of the company's Prize Patrol Team knock on the front doors of homes throughout the country, a batch of celebratory balloons in hand, presenting unsuspecting people with big prizes.

Prize Patrol Team member Howie Guja takes a selife with Lillian Trottier and her husband, Mark.

And on Tuesday afternoon, Trottier was left nearly speechless as Prize Patrol Team member Howie Guja presented her with the check.

"Shocked" was the first word Trottier used to describe how she was feeling.

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"I don't know what to say," she added while on the verge of tears. "Thank you."

Trottier said she will use part of the money to pay for a new heating system for her 42-year-old home. Some will also be used to buy Christmas presents for her family, whom she said will get a kick out of learning she won.

It's a welcome relief for the 68-year old Koopman Lumber worker, as she and 69-year old husband, Mark, plan to soon retire.

"It's unbelievable," she said.

Trottier has been submitting her name in the company's online sweepstakes for quite awhile. It's something she does every day after work.

Sweepstakes winners are selected randomly, so her odds increased the more frequently she applied.

"I just wanted to keep trying," Trottier said. "I never though I'd win."

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As for Guja, the day started early. He traveled from his home on Long Island to get to Uxbridge by 1 p.m. On the way to Trottier's house, he picked up the big check, which he ordered from a Staples stores in Connecticut.

Before heading to Trottier's home, he stopped at a Hanaford supermarket to pick up flowers he ordered for the winner and to fill the balloons.

As is the case with all Publishers Clearing House visits, the winner had no idea the Prize Patrol was coming, so there was a chance Guja would knock on the door only to find nobody home.

And initially, Trottier wasn't. Nobody was. But Guja only had to wait two minutes before Mark Trottier arrived, and an addition 40 minutes for Trottier to come home from her job at Koopman Lumber.

Mark had to convince her on the phone to come home without revealing the big surprise. He settled for telling her that there were some people in the driveway that she'd be excited to see.

Guja said something like that occurs about 20% of the time. But it happens, and it's just part of the job.

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His favorite part is getting to travel around the country and seeing the looks on people's faces when they see they have won big.

"That's the moment you wait for," he said. "Some of these people enter every day and don't give it much thought. One day, they see me there with the blazer on and the balloons and the flowers... and immediately they know what's going on."

Cesareo Contreras can be reached at 508-626-3957 or ccontreras@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @cesareo_r