Batesville Herald Tribune, Batesville, Indiana

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  • Watching themselves in Times Square: Olivia (left on billboard) and her mother, Amy Prickel, had their 15 seconds of fame when their photo was shown on the American Eagle Outfitters billboard in New York City.

    Prickel 2
December 4, 2009

Prickel enjoys VIP treatment

Diane Raver

A 16-year-old Morris resident recently won the trip of a lifetime.

Olivia Prickel, daughter of Steve and Amy Prickel, entered a sweepstakes on the American Eagle Outfitters Web site for a chance to go on an all-expenses-paid VIP trip to New York City for the opening of an AE store in Times Square.

At the time she entered the contest, “she was supposed to be doing her homework,” her mother notes. “Olivia’s (older) sister told her, ‘you’re never going to win’ .... I tried to boost her up and told her somebody has to win.”

About two weeks later, the East Central High School sophomore received a phone call from an AE representative revealing that she was one of two lucky grand prize winners who received the trip. After hearing the news, “I freaked out because I never win these kinds of things!”

Since she was a minor, the young lady could take one parent with her so “it was between her dad and I,” Amy Prickel recalls. “He doesn’t like shopping” so she was the obvious choice.

From Nov. 16-19, the mother and daughter spent time together in the Big Apple. A limo picked the duo up at the airport and took them to the New York Marriott Marquis right on Times Square.

“We got to go to a VIP party” to launch the opening of the new store, the teen announces. They saw various celebrities, including Miley Cyrus, “Adrianne (Bailon) from the Cheetah Girls .... and some guy from (the TV show) ‘Ugly Betty.’

“There were a lot of fun things to do at the party .... the first was to have our faces upon the billboard right on Times Square,” she reports.

The Prickels also received two $250 AE gift certificates. “On top of the gift cards, they knocked off 15 percent more,” and there were some items that were “exclusive to only that store,” the mother recalls.

During the shopping spree, the high school student purchased “lots of clothes, shirts, jeans and accessories .... stuff I would never get,” she points out. That was the highlight of her trip.

According to Amy Prickel, who enjoyed spending time with her daughter, “She’s a fun girl to be with.”

In addition, the mom emphasizes, “The AE representatives treated us very well .... They told us not to bring a camera because they were taking pictures for us .... (and) they held our bags for us. It was awesome.”

Even though the girls didn’t have time to see many other sights, the Morris residents did have a chance to see a Broadway musical, “West Side Story.”

Olivia became good friends with the other sweepstakes winner, who was from Los Angeles. “They were like two peas in a pod,” her mother stresses. “They exchanged e-mail addresses and now they’re keeping in touch.”

The teen reveals, “Now I’m a believer in sweepstakes … People really do win.”

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