Ellicott City Resident Wins a Year of Dates

When a stranger calls and asks a kid for her parent’s cell phone number, the responsible child politely declines. 

Even if it’s the County Executive asking.

The young woman who identified herself as Mark Kinzie’s daughter to Ken Ulman did just that Thursday after Ulman called to let Kinzie know he had won Howard County Tourism’s “Download for Date Nights” promotion. 

To support her responsibility, perhaps Kinzie will take his daughter out to dinner at one of the half-dozen restaurants that donated $400 worth of gift certificates to the promotion, or take her to a show at Merriweather Post Pavilion. 

In all, the Ellicott City resident won more than $4,000 worth of free goods, services and gift certificates donated by local businesses as part of the promotion, aimed at getting people to download Streetline’s Parker application.

“These are from local businesses,” Rachelina Bonacci, Executive Director, Howard County Tourism & Promotion, said about the donated prizes. “That means this is coming out of their pockets.”

To be eligible to win, people had to download the app and upload a picture of it to Tourism’s Facebook page, or show someone in person at the Howard County Welcome Center. Entrants’ names were entered into a bowl, which Ulman’s wife, Jaki Ulman, picked a name from Thursday afternoon. 

“We were very very upset to find out that we were not eligible,” Ulman said. “Now I’m going to have to pay out of my own pocket to go to every one of these fine restaurants.”

After a false start – in which a county employee’s wife’s name was plucked from the bowl - Kenzie’s name was chosen.

“Is that anybody’s relative?” Ulman joked. 

Also awarded a prize was Vickie Goeller, a tourism specialist, for getting the most visitors (64) do download the application, which was introduced in November.

The contest isn’t over. Bonacci said local businesses “kept on donating” and as a result, there are more prizes to be won. The next round of gifts includes tickets to movies, restaurants, Historic District events and more.

--

The entire "Download for Date Nights": prize package: 

Bling
Sterling silver PANDORA clasp bracelet with 2 heart clips and 1 heart charm from  Pandora at the The Mall in Columbia

Golf
A Golf Twosome at Timbers of Troy
A Golf Twosome at Fairway Hills Golf Club
A Twosome for the Howard County General Hospital benefit golf classic
2 Weekend rounds of golf with a golf cart included at Waverly Woods Golf Course

Shows
2 Tickets to Merriweather Post Pavilion
2 Tickets to Toby’s Dinner Theatre
2 Tickets for 2 shows at REP Stage 
2 Tickets to 4 Performances of the Columbia Procantare
2 Tickets to the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company

Activities and Events
2 Tickets to the Howard County Chamber of Commerce "Signature Event" Gala
$25 Gift Certificate for Terrapin Adventures
Tickets to the Turf Valley home show Savor, Sip & Style
Tickets for a Haunted History of Olde Ellicott City Ghost Tour
2 Private Dance Lessons, 1 Group Lesson & 1 Practice Party from That’s Dancing Ballroom & Dancesport Center
2 Studio Theatre tickets to the 16th Annual Celebration of the Arts in Howard County- The Howard County Arts Council’s Gala Event
One admission to the Symphony of Lights drive through
2 Tickets to a Literary Pub Crawl courtesy of the Ellicott City Restoration Foundation
2 Tickets to the Silas Craft Collegians fundraiser at Hunan Manor Restaurant courtesy of Howard Community College
Grandstand seating for 2 at the Howard Community College Columbia Classic Grand Prix

Restaurants
$100 Gift Certificate to The King’s Contrivance Restaurant courtesy of Custom Media Options
$25 Gift Certificate for Saturday brunch at Victoria Gastro Pub
$100 in Gift Certificates for the Restaurant Association of Maryland
$75 Gift Certificate to AIDA Bistro & Wine Bar
$25 Gift Certificate to P.F. Changs China Bistro Courtesy of The Mall in Columbia
$75 Gift Certificate to Rams Head Tavern courtesy of Historic Savage Mill

Beer and Wine
Tickets to Wine in the Woods
Two tickets to the Ulman Cancer Fund’s Screw Cancer & Brew Hope (a beer & wine event for a great cause)
2 Tickets to the Howard County Conservancy’s Wine in the Garden event.
A Gift Certificate for $50 of wine with the purchase of dinner for 2 at The King’s Contrivance Restaurant
Tickets to Alexandra’s Beer Dinner
A wine and food pairing for two at Linganore Winecellars

Overnight Stays
An Overnight stay at Turf Valley
An Overnight stay at Wingate by Wyndham – BWI Airport
An Overnight stay at the Wayside Inn Bed and Breakfast
An Overnight stay with a breakfast buffet included at the Sheraton Columbia Town Center Hotel
An Overnight stay in the Caton or Ellicott Room with Champagne or Sparkling Cider and Chocolate Covered Strawberries at the Paradise Bed and Breakfast

Misc
A Frank Sinatra CD & DVD From MPT
Courtesy of The Mall in Columbia:
$25 Gift Certificate to Marbles the brain store
$25 Gift Certificate to Godiva Chocolatier
$25 Gift Certificate to Aveda
$25 Gift Certificate to the Pandora Store – The Mall in Columbia
$25 Gift Certificate to The Mall in Columbia
A CD from local musician Damon Foreman
$150 Gift Certificate for 2, one hour Swedish massages at Goodlife Wellness Center courtesy of Historic Savage Mill

Related:

- Howard County Tourism Contest: A Year of Dates

- Parking in Ellicott City? There's an App for That