Newborn wins $5,529 for her Path2College 529 Plan
Lori Walth opened a Path2College 529 Plan account for her first two grandchildren shortly after they were born. When her newest bundle of joy arrived, she decided to enter her in a sweepstakes for a chance to win money to start that college savings plan — and she won.
Today, the Path2College 529 Plan presented Walth’s granddaughter, Charlie Rayn Grant, with $5,529 for her college savings. Grant was born at Northside Hospital on Oct. 4, 2013.
“It was a wonderful surprise to receive the phone call telling me that my granddaughter Charlie Rayn was the winner of the 529 Plan Newborn Sweepstakes! I was thrilled,” said Walth. “Charlie has an older sister and brother who already have 529 College Plans. My grandchildren have always known that they have a 529 plan and that there is money growing for their college education.”
Walth said that she opened the plans so that her grandchildren can reach for the stars and know that opportunities are available for their future. “This fund allows them to hope and dream as they think about careers and future education possibilities.”
The Path2College 529 Plan also awarded Northside Hospital with $1,529, which the hospital plans to donate to the Miracle Babies, an organization that collaborates with Northside to raise financial assistance and support for families with newborns in the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit.
“We are excited to partner with Path2College to promote the Newborn Sweepstakes for the past four years, to help our families prepare for their new babies’ futures,” said Russ Davis, director of marketing and public relations, Northside Hospital. More babies are born at Northside each year than at any other hospital in the United States. “We congratulate the Grant family on being selected as the 2013 winner and wish them all the best.”
Mitch Seabaugh, executive director of the Path2College 529 Plan said that the Newborn Sweepstakes is one of the most important programs that the plan does each year.
“Saving for a college is a marathon, not a sprint, and that’s why reaching families with new babies is crucial,” said Seabaugh. “While every little bit helps and it’s never too late to start saving, the most impact can be made by saving regularly over time.”
Seabaugh said that they started the sweepstakes four years ago in an effort to provide new parents and grandparents with information about the state’s Path2College plan and to hopefully encourage them to look at their financial situation and determine how they can better prepare for the future expenses of their child’s education.
On April 15, the Path2College 529 Plan officially kicked off the 2014 Newborn Sweepstakes. Parents, grandparents and guardians of Georgia babies born in 2014 may go to www.Path2College529.com until April 14, 2015, to enter for a chance to win. Entrants must be legal residents or taxpayers to Georgia and at least 18 years of age to register. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited.
The Path2College 529 Plan will also award $1,529 to the hospital where the winner was born.
This is the fourth year Path2College has held its Newborn Sweepstakes. The 2011 winner was born at Northside Hospital in Atlanta and the 2012 winner was born at Doctors Hospital in Augusta, Georgia.
