February 26, 2015
@DLmediamusic/Twitter
Music publicist Matthew Jurasek re-enacts accidentally calling PowerHits101.
It’s not often you dial the wrong number and end up winning a three-day cruise to the Bahamas.
Wednesday was looking like just another stressful day at the office for Matthew Jurasek, an account publicist at jazz marketing firm DL Media Music.
His workday began with a bacon, egg and cheese on a long roll from Fat Joe’s on Columbus Boulevard. As the day dragged on, he skipped lunch to attend to the endless calls and negotiations that fill every publicist's hours.
“Ah, the life of a publicist,” Jurasek lamented to PhillyVoice.com over the phone.
At around 3 p.m., Jurasek intended to call a client’s manager to discuss the approval of a track for release. Instead, he accidentally dialed the wrong number and was connected to Los Angeles Internet radio station PowerHits101.
“Congratulations, you’re Caller 15 on PowerHits101,” said an enthusiastic, but automated message. “You’ve just won a free cruise to the Bahamas. Three days. Two nights.”
Naturally, Jurasek thought it was a hoax. Nevertheless, he pressed '1' to continue and entered his phone number when the system instructed.
Jurasek received a text with a link to redeem his prize. He was directed to a page on the PowerHits101 website, where he was prompted to enter his phone number.
After speaking with representatives from both the station and the cruise line, he realized that he had, in fact, won an all-expense-paid cruise to the Bahamas.
“I was pretty much speechless once I weeded out the fact that it wasn’t a scam. I was very skeptical. I didn’t believe it was a real radio station.”
He walked outside and called his girlfriend, who thought it was a prank. She will accompany him on the cruise when he decides to redeem it.
What do his friends make of his good luck?
“I got a lot of people telling me I should go out and buy a lottery ticket.”
Jurasek plans to celebrate his accidental win Friday night, Feb. 27, with his band, Thee Idea Men, during their show at South Philly's Boot & Saddle. You can find tickets here.
