SAPULPA, Okla. — A Sapulpa woman is one of three finalists up for a million dollars in a national Potato Chip sweepstakes, and time is ticking!
"I just started screaming and crying! I was excited!," said Paula George. She's describing the moment she learned she was a finalist in the Lay's Do Us a Flavor sweepstakes.
"It was like the most exciting thing that's happened to me since having my children!" said George.
The contest asked America, What's your million-dollar chip idea? Out of 700,000 submissions, George's Bacon Grilled Cheese, one of the top three finalists.
WATCH: Sapulpa woman up for $1M from Lays thanks to Dad's recipe
"Writing these entries was kind of therapy because my dad passed away, and I was really missing him, so it took my mind off the grief by writing these entries. One night, I was grieving hard, and I asked my husband to make Dad's sandwich. So my husband went in there and made me Dad's Bacon Grilled Cheese. When he came back, I started to eat it, and I just started to cry. Then I said this is going to be my next entry, and I was just tears streaming down my face, and I said this one is going to win," said George.
George lost her dad, a Vietnam veteran, after a long illness in April 2024. Making and sharing his grilled cheese sandwiches was something they always did, together. "The fact that it's so close to Father's Day, it's like this huge hug from him. The pat on the back. A goodbye until I see you again in heaven. It's a pretty powerful thing," said George.
Korean-Style Fried Chicken and Valentina Lime chips are also in the running. The folks we spoke to who tried the chips, like Adam Roach, think George has got it in the bag. Roach said, "It's really good, it's probably the winner."
George said, "It's not just a chip, it's a memory, and I think everybody has one."
Each finalist walks away with some cash, but the winner takes home a million dollars.
"The money will be able to change my life in so many ways. My daughter is special needs and compounded with the grief and stuff, we have had a tough time during the journey with my dad. I want to be able to do some treatments that we wouldn't have been able to do for her," said George.
And they'd like to go to Disneyland and Disneyworld, "I think it would be like a gift from her grandpa!" said George.
No matter where the chips fall, Paula's replaced grief with gratitude, and there's a win in that.
"I just want to say thank you so much, and I hope you enjoy them. And once you start eating them, you know what they say- they're Lays, you can't just eat one," said George.
Online voting remains open until June 13, 2025, at 11:59 pm. You can vote here.
The Grand Prize million-dollar winner will be announced on June 17th, 2025.
Good luck, Paula George!
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere --
- Download our free app for Apple, Android and Kindle devices.
- Sign up for daily newsletters emailed to you
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Watch LIVE 24/7 on YouTube
