Sikeston woman wins caregiver online contest

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

SIKESTON -- After garnering the majority of the half a million votes cast in an online contest, a Sikeston caregiver is ready to set sail on a new adventure this winter.

As the winner of a caregiver cruise giveaway national contest, this winter Brenda Williams of Sikeston and a guest will fly to Orlando and depart from Cape Canaveral, Fla., for a four-night, five-day Bahamas cruise.

Home Instead Senior Care, which sponsored the online contest for caregivers from June 24 through Aug. 24, officially announced Williams as the winner on Oct. 1.

Williams said she learned of her win a couple weeks ago prior to the official announcement. She received a phone call from the contest's sponsor.

"I've never been on a cruise," Williams said, adding she's excited for the opportunity.

Three years ago Williams' husband, Ron, was diagnosed with Lewy Body disease, which Williams described as a combination of Alzheimer's, dementia and Parkinson's disease. Prior to his diagnosis, Williams' husband served as the band director for Sikeston R-6 Schools and then bought Collins Music, which he owned for several years before going into the insurance business.

Williams was nominated by friends from church, Teresa Griggs of Sikeston and Cindi Garrett, of Cape Girardeau, who called her "an amazing person."

"Brenda never complains and will be quick to tell you that Ron had rescued her more than 20 years ago," Garrett wrote in her nomination. "She was a struggling single mom of two girls when she met Ron. They married, and I've heard her many times say that she was grateful to him because he had given her and the children a wonderful life she never imagined. Now the tables have turned and she is in a position to serve Ron. And she has certainly done that," she added.

When Williams' friends first entered her in the contest on July 28, she was in the 305th place out of 3,000 entrants. When the contest ended, Williams was No. 1 of 8,351 entrants in the contest, which had a total of 471,772 votes cast.

"Every time I opened up the computer, I had love pouring out of it," Williams said. "That meant more to me than winning."

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