KANSAS CITY, Kan. 鈥� In one of the biggest cash prizes given to a fan by a sports team, the Kansas City T-Bones awarded Tina West of Overland Park, Kan., with a check for $100,000 Wednesday night as winner of the 7th Street聽Casino Bull鈥檚-eye contest.
After calling her earlier in the week, representatives from the T-Bones and 7th Street Casino surprised West with the prize at her home.
鈥淚 usually enter all of the drawings when I鈥檓 at the games, so when the T-Bones called and said they were 产谤颈苍驳颈苍驳听something, I thought it was a go-kart,鈥� West said of one of the prizes during the season. 鈥淚 never imagined in my wildest dreams it would be $100,000.鈥�
The 7th Street Casino Bull鈥檚-eye contest is simple enough: a fan signs up at that night鈥檚 game at CommunityAmerica Ballpark, a T-Bones player hits a home run into a 鈥渂ull鈥檚-eye鈥� approximately the size of a basketball hoop, about 360 feet from home plate and 35 feet above the field, and a fan鈥檚 name is drawn. Easy, right? For the first time in team聽history 鈥� more than 500 home games 鈥� Kansas City infielder Nick Giarraputo (pronounced Jerra-pooto) hit the bull鈥檚-eye on June 7 in the fourth inning against Laredo. West鈥檚 name was drawn at random from the fans who聽registered that night.
鈥�This is a wonderful night for us,鈥� T-Bones president Adam Ehlert said shortly after West received the check. 鈥淚 can say without qualifying it that in our 12-year history, this is the most fun I鈥檝e had with the T-Bones. We鈥檙e thrilled to present this check to Tina.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 very exciting to give money away 鈥� that鈥檚 one of the things we do well,鈥� said Jerrell Royal, the 尘补谤办别迟颈苍驳听manager for 7th Street Casino. 鈥淲e鈥檙e excited to be part of this experience.鈥�
Incidentally, Giarraputo鈥檚 home run was his first with the T-Bones, and it capped a three-run inning that helped propel Kansas City to a 5-3 win over Laredo in front of 5,922 at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.
