WARSAW — Sometimes just the right Christmas blessing comes along to just the right person.

Ciera England of Leesburg won the first place prize in the Kosciusko County Christmas Bucks contest. She received $800 in Christmas Bucks, which she is “going to use to buy things for my family,” she said.

CHRISTMAS GREENS — Carl Lauster, left, sales representative for ‘the PAPER’ in Kosciusko County, shares a moment of joy with Ciera England, who won the $800 first prize in this year’s Christmas Bucks drawing. She is holding her niece, Opal Busche, 1. Also pictured is Russell Hall, manager of the Pizza Hut on Lake City Highway in Warsaw, where England filled out her winning entry. (Photo by Ray Balogh)

“My grandfather on my mom’s side passed away a couple months ago, and this will be the first Christmas without him,” said England, who will spend the holiday with her boyfriend, her mother and mother’s boyfriend, her brother, 1-year-old niece and two step-siblings.

“Christmas will be special but it will be difficult this year,” she said. “It’s the one time we are all together.”

As an afterthought, England entered the contest at the Pizza Hut on Lake City Highway in Warsaw. “I really wasn’t even going to do it, but I was waiting for my pizza and saw the contest and signed up,” she said.

“I have not really had good luck at this kind of thing, and it was the first time I signed up for it. When they called me, I was in shock, It was mind blowing and exciting at the same time.”

The Christmas Bucks are redeemable the same as cash at 38 locations in Warsaw, North Webster, Syracuse, Milford, Bremen, Elkhart, Goshen, Silver Lake and Columbia City. The locations are printed on the back of each Christmas Buck.

“I am super excited,” said England. “Things like this never happen to me and Christmas is always a struggle. Our family is getting bigger and bigger, so it is nice to do something for everyone.”

‘AND THE WINNER IS …’ — Susan Stump and Carl Lauster, sales reps for ‘the PAPER’ in Kosciusko County, helped select the winning entries for this year’s Christmas Bucks contest. (Photo provided)

The drawing, held Monday, Nov. 19, yielded 10 individual winners and one merchant, One Call Water of Syracuse, which captured the $1,000 grand prize.

MERCHANT WINNER — Michael Chesnut, founder and owner of One Call Water, a full-service water treatment company in Syracuse, holds up the envelope with the $1,000 cash he won in this year’s Christmas Bucks drawing. One Call Water has offered trusted service, products and supplies since 1991. (Photo by Susan Stump)

Other winners, after England, were:

• Second place, Lucinda Conley, Warsaw, $500, who signed up at Palette Eatery in Warsaw

• Third place, Rachel Miner, Silver Lake, $150 at H & L Motors, Warsaw

• Fourth place, Clara Popenfoose, Warsaw, $150, Papa Johns, Warsaw

• Fifth place, Diane May, Milford, $150, Whetten’s Pizza, Milford

• Sixth place, Dana Teeter, Warsaw, $50, Reinholts,

• Seventh place, Julia Schue, Warsaw, $50, Dental Solutions, Warsaw

• Eight place, Edith Garner, Milford, $50, L&M Foods, Nappanee

• Ninth place, Bob Farrington, Warsaw, $50, Himalayan Salt and Scents, Warsaw

• 10th place, Robin Harley, Syracuse, $50, Sweeper Remedy, Syracuse

Each participating merchant drew a store winner and sent the entry to The Papers, who sponsored the annual event. The winners were drawn from the pool of submitted entries. Prizes totaled $2,000 for individual winners and another $1,000 for the merchant winner.