37°F
weather icon Clear

Ziembicki ‘passes go’; single mom wins $20,000 in Monopoly contest

Life-changing.

That’s what a single Albertsons Monopoly game ticket was for Boulder City resident Rebekah Ziembicki when she won $20,000 cash in the nationwide contest.

“I was in shock. It’s amazing,” she said after finding out she had a winning ticket.

Albertsons holds its national Monopoly contest every year. Customers receive tickets after purchasing items in the store. The tickets allow them to win or be eligible to win a variety of prizes. This year is the 13th year of the contest, and there are 13 chances to win a $20,000 cash prize, according to Nancy Keane, media relations for the grocery store chain.

Ziembicki won the $20,000 with a single online ticket. She said for every ticket she receives that is not a prize, she enters it online because that provides a second chance for her to win something.

“I’ve done it for the two years I’ve been here,” she said. “I won five dollars last year. This is a big step up.”

Ziembicki is a single mom who grew up in town and graduated from Boulder City High School. After graduation she moved away until two years ago, when she came back to live with her mother, Kim Ziembicki. Her mom was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and has been out of work since January.

“We’ve been helping each other out,” she said.

She said she plans to use the $20,000 cash prize to pay off some of her debt, go on a trip or two and save some money.

“I’m relieved,” she said. “It’s a big relief. … Mom has been out of work … so we’ve been pinching pennies.”

“This is helpful for Rebekah and for us. … I’m just so happy for her,” said Kim Ziembicki. “She can pay down her bills and feel more comfortable.”

In addition to taking care of her mother and 6-year-old daughter, Grace Merker, Rebekah Ziembicki works as a teacher at Christian Center Day Care and takes online classes at College of Southern Nevada.

“I’m eventually going to be a nurse,” she said.

On March 11, Boulder City’s Albertsons presented her with the cash, a grab bag of gifts and a cake during a short ceremony, which she described as a “whirlwind.”

Several managers from the chain were on hand for the presentation.

“It’s pretty cool (to be here) because this is such a great community,” said Justin Davis, district services manager.

Contact reporter Celia Shortt Goodyear at cgoodyear@bouldercityreview.com or at 702-586-9401. Follow her on Twitter @csgoodyear.

Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.
THE LATEST
Early home maintenance and prep makes way for happy holidays

Wake up and smell the pumpkin spice! The holidays are coming and your home is about to go into overdrive. Now’s the time to knock out both seasonal home maintenance and holiday preparation, before the days get shorter and the to-do list gets longer.

Boulder City’s Got Talent this Saturday at library

The public is encouraged to come out to a free event, which features some of the top entertainers Boulder City has to offer.

UNLV professor wows STEM students

Garrett Junior High School’s Flight and Space teacher, Ryan Pusko, invited his brother, Dr. Matthew Pusko, to speak with our sixth-grade students on Friday, Sept. 29. Dr. Pusko teaches at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) School of Engineering and came to inspire and educate our STEM students. Dr. Pusko’s visit was part of an effort from UNLV to expose students to the careers of the future and to ignite their passion for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

Afterschool clubs at Garrett Junior High

Editor’s Note: Class in Session is a new column in which Boulder City schools submit articles written by the principals, faculty or students. It will focus on programs, classes and activities within the school.

BCHS homecoming week filled with activities

Editor’s Note: This is a new weekly column submitted by Boulder City schools, written by principals, administrators, faculty or students. It will focus on events, programs or new classes at the various schools.

Runion excels at both sales and trails

Bret Runion has an uncanny knack of remembering a house he sold 30 years ago, who bought it, who sold it and in what year. And if you give him a few extra seconds, he could probably tell you the coloring of carpeting in each.