Grand Forks family get a 'twice-in-a-lifetime' Super Bowl experience

Published Jan. 10, 2011
By 2nd Lieutenant Jessica Tait
319th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- Master Sgt. Jay Peavey, 319th Security Forces Squadron, and his wife Jennifer, were named as Air Mobility Command's award winners Jan. 7 and will attend Super Bowl XLV as part of the Air Force-wide Football Frenzy contest.

This will be the couple's second year of winning Super Bowl tickets from an Air Force sponsored contest.

"You just don't think you are ever going to win something like that, and then you do, and then you find out you can win it a second time!" said Jennifer.

The Peaveys were the lucky winners of last year's Super Bowl Extravaganza's grand prize of two all expenses paid tickets to the Super Bowl. The 319th Force Support Squadron sponsors Super Bowl Extravaganza, which provides club members and their families an enjoyable environment to have fun and win prizes. This year the couple entered Football Frenzy, which is open exclusively to club members Air Force-wide.

Only one winner is chosen from every command.

"It's astonishing how lucky some people are. You don't have words to describe when lightning strikes the same place twice," said club manager Rick Howard.

Once-in-a-lifetime is the best way of describing the Peavey's trip to the Super Bowl last year. The couple thought they were coming in to talk about their experiences, but they were completely caught off guard when Col. Don Shaffer, 319th Air Refueling Wing commander, informed them they had won the contest and were attending the Super Bowl for a second year in a row.

"We had no idea everybody in that room was in on it and they were pulling our leg the entire time," said Jennifer in regards to the surprise setup.

Sergeant Peavey and his wife were the only winners of Super Bowl Extravaganza's grand prize to actually use the tickets instead of cashing them in for $5,000. Sporting their favorite football jerseys, it is clear they are huge fans and will enjoy their second opportunity at this once in a lifetime experience.