FOOD & DINING

Phoenix mom turns a McDonald's coffee a day into $50K

Amanda Etchison
The Republic | azcentral.com
Libby Schwichtenberg was announced as a winner of the McDonald's Monopoly Mobile App Sweepstakes on Tuesday, June 21. She is one of two people in the United States to win $50,000.

An iced coffee purchased under the McDonald's golden arches proved to be the golden ticket for one Phoenix mom.

Libby Schwichtenberg, 35, was announced as a winner of the McDonald's Monopoly Mobile App Sweepstakes on Tuesday, June 21. She is one of two people in the United States to win $50,000.

Schwichtenberg says she used the McDonald's app on her cellphone to buy a McCafe iced coffee from the 24th Street and Osborn Road location every day for more than three weeks.

"It was our morning routine," Schwichtenberg says, adding that she would stop by McDonald's on the way to her daughter's school.

One day, a purchase with the app entered Schwichtenberg into the drawing for the Mobile App Sweepstakes $50,000 prize. She was later chosen as the Week 3 winner.

The sweepstakes allowed customers to redeem offers on the McDonald's mobile app between March 29 and April 25 for the chance to enter a weekly drawing. One $50,000 winner was chosen each week.

Plans to use money for vacation, new house

Schwichtenberg says she was shocked to hear that she had won.

"I was on my way to pick my daughter up from school when I got the email," she says. "I was like, 'Is this real?' You get so many scam emails, you know? But I started to read the email and I knew Monopoly was happening at McDonald's, so I knew it was real. So then I started to think, 'Oh my God.'"

The mother of two, who is an administrative assistant at a local travel agency, says she immediately began calling family and friends.

"Everyone didn't believe me ... it just doesn't happen to people you know," she says. "So I took a screenshot (of the email). I called my mom, I called my stepdad, I texted my sister ...  My sister still didn't believe me until I got the check."

Schwichtenberg says she plans to use the prize money to pay off some bills, but added that she wants to use it to have fun, too. The family is looking into taking a vacation to San Diego, and also plans to put a down payment on a new house in Phoenix.

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Celebration with the staff

A day after learning she had won, Schwichtenberg says she returned to McDonald's to share the news.

"I went through the drive-thru the next morning," she says.

Brandon O'Rourke, owner/operator of the McDonald's, says the entire staff celebrated with Schwichtenberg.

"The crew in the drive-thru were all excited. It was almost like they had won," O'Rourke says. "I'm thrilled that one of our regular customers was able to benefit. It is not only a good thing for our customers to know that people actually win (these sweepstakes), but also for our team to know that people actually win."

Now that school is out of session, Schwichtenberg says she does not visit the McDonald's as frequently. Still, she says she enjoys the warm welcome she receives from the staff when she does stop by.

Schwichtenberg added that at least some of the prize money will make its way back to McDonald's – especially when she feels the need to satisfy a caffeine craving.

"I'll still go and get my coffee," she says.

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