Immigrant from Lviv wins prize in 'Welcome Home' Sweepstakes (12/24/00)

Immigrant from Lviv wins prize in 'Welcome Home' Sweepstakes

NEW YORK - Western Union, a worldwide leader in money transfer services, hosted a farewell party at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on November 10 for Arkadyi Sirotenko, one of the grand prize winners in the company's "Welcome Home" Sweepstakes 1999.

Mr. Sirotenko's winning money transfer to Ukraine awarded him with an all-expense-paid round trip to his home country for two.

"We are so grateful to Western Union," said Mr. Sirotenko, a Western Union customer who immigrated to the United States from Lviv almost two years ago to be reunited with his daughter and her family." My wife and I are happy to live with our family here in the U.S., but we miss our son and daughter-in-law who live in Lviv, my brother in St. Petersburg and other relatives in Russia. Western Union helps to keep us connected," he added.

Dozens of other prizes were also awarded to customers who made international money transfer transactions to qualifying regions during the holiday season of 1999.

As Mr. and Mrs. Sirotenko prepared to board their LOT flight to Lviv they were escorted by Alexander Gomellya, assistant marketing manager for Western Union.

The Sirotenkos were also greeted warmly by the LOT Airlines plane crew and were upgraded to first class. LOT has been named "best airline" in Central and Eastern Europe for four consecutive years by Business Traveler, a well respected travel industry publication.

"Our customers have given us so much that Western Union wants to give something back," said Liz Stokes, director of marketing for Western Union. "We know how hard it is to be away from our loved ones, so we offer our loyal customers opportunities to reunite with them, whether it is through an all-expense-paid trip home, phone cards to call them, or personal computers so families can stay in touch online," she added.

Western Union Financial Services, Inc. provides rapid money transfer services through more than 94,000 agent locations in over 185 countries worldwide.

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