Jun 22, 2008
Queen for a day: Silverhill woman strikes gold at Silver BasketBy Donna Riley-LeinBaldwinCountyNow.com

Robertsdale, Ala. — Yvonne “D’Von” Henry says she hasn’t won anything for a while. No contests, drawings, nothing.

“I got a call saying I’d won, and I could not believe it,” said Henry.

What Henry won was the May drawing at the Silver Basket gift store in Robertsdale. GayNell Palmisano, the store’s owner says she instituted the promotion to get people in the area to “know and appreciate shopping in their home town.” The store ran a gasoline promotion in April.

“I am glad it was somebody local who won,” said Palmisano.

Henry won a $100 Silver Basket gift certificate, a certificate for a hairstyle, manicure and pedicure at Trends beauty salon in Robertsdale, a gift certificate for lunch for two at Ivey’s and a certificate for a massage by Erica at Dr. Brian Pierce’s office.

“That is going to be wonderful,” said Henry, referring to the massage.

And of course, Palmisano, like a fairy godmother, had one more gift — a small tiara, which she fitted into Henry’s hair.

“The promotion was called ‘Queen for a Day,’ and the whole point was to honor one of our shoppers, to give her a day,” said Palmisano.

Palmisano said that men were welcome to enter the contest, but she told gentlemen that while the prizes were a lot of fun for both sexes, the name of the contest was not changing.

“That put a few of them right off,” she said with a chuckle. “A few of them said they’d find someone to give the prizes to. Fast.”

All told, Palmisano said, there were about 600 entries in the May contest.

She added that all the entries went into a big glass bowl each day, and then into a large bag for the drawing.

The promotion attracted a lot of attention.

“People come in here every day and tell us they didn’t know we are here,” said Palmisano.

The store, Palmisano says, was founded by her sister-in-law, Jeannie Ard.

“She had breast cancer,” said Palmisano, “and she asked me to keep it (the store) going.”

The the store, Palmisano says, “is a place to be able to get a quality gift, and not have to run to Mobile to get it.”

The store, which got its start along County Road 104 moved to its current location in 2004.

“The idea is that the store tries to be as unique as you are,” said Palmisano.

“That’s certainly true,” said Henry. “There seems to be a little something for everybody.”

As for “friends” looking to get a hold of Henry’s gift certificates, forget it. While Henry was welcome to divvy her loot up, she says she is going to make good use of her prizes.

“I’m going to use all of them,” she said. “I really am going to shop around here.”