Feeling lucky? Matthew Kelly `03 sure was when he landed a job on the famous Prize Patrol at Publisher’s Clearinghouse.

Publisher’s Clearinghouse (PCH), originally a magazine circulation agency, launched their first sweepstakes in 1967. Their reality television-like moments of greeting unsuspecting contestants at their homes with balloons, a large check (both in size and dollar amount!) and television cameras rolling began in 1988 and have become icons of popular culture.

Though Kelly has never been the recipient of a big money check, he’s handed out quite a few. “I can honestly say that every person I’ve given a check to has been someone that has truly needed it,” he says. “I have yet to have a bad experience.”

Kelly, who transferred to Messiah College in 2001, majored in communications and minored in theatre. His minor, he says, definitely helped give his Prize Patrol adventure a bit of theatrical flair!

Kelly’s career at PCH is more varied than just being on the Prize Patrol. He has, since being hired in 2007, also done more mundane tasks such as editing HTML code for emails, fact checking official results, and now, in his new role, writing copy for various print and internet promotions.

“I’ve had plenty of interesting experiences” at PCH, Kelly says. Recalling specifically moments on the Prize Patrol, he adds, “Driving by to verify that a winner was home just to show up three minutes later to find out they just left; delivering a check in the freezing cold to a fireman who had just been wearing a kilt; and surprising a winner who’s mom had actually also won a prize from PCH almost exactly 20 years before!”

Kelly was working full-time as a web developer and editor at a church on Long Island, N.Y. when a church member told him about an opening at PCH, located in nearby Port Washington. Kelly took his skills to PCH and hasn’t looked back since.

Kelly is married to Nicole (Powers) `02, pictured with him above. You can follow Kelly on Twitter @supermattkelly.

This entry was posted on Monday, January 9th, 2012 at 2:48 pm and is filed under Alumni. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.