What you need to know:
- Exchange shoppers can enter the Mars Holiday Storybook Essay Contest with an original holiday-memory essay.
- Email entries to [email protected] from Oct. 31 through Dec. 25 with “Favorite Holiday Story” as the subject.
- Three winners will each receive a $1,000 Exchange gift card. No purchase is necessary.
DALLAS – A treasured holiday memory could become a $1,000 shopping opportunity in the Army & Air Force Exchange Service’s (AAFES, the Exchange) Mars Holiday Storybook Essay Contest.
Authorized Exchange shoppers 18 years and older can enter from Oct. 31 through Dec. 25 by submitting an original essay in English of 500 words or fewer about a favorite holiday memory, from childhood or recent years. Entries must be emailed to [email protected] with “Favorite Holiday Story” in the subject line.
Three winners will each receive a $1,000 Exchange gift card. Winners will be announced no later than Jan. 29.
“Sometimes the simplest holiday moments become the stories we tell for years,” said Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Angela Holden, the Exchange’s senior enlisted advisor. “We’re inviting shoppers to share those special memories for a chance to add something extra to this year’s celebration.”
No purchase is necessary to enter. Department of War and Coast Guard civilians and honorably discharged Veterans who have confirmed their eligibility to shop online may also enter. Veterans can visit https://publicaffairs-sme.com/Community/veterans#pa to learn more about their shopping benefit. DoW civilians can visit https://publicaffairs-sme.com/Community/dodcacbenefits.
For full sweepstakes rules, visit ShopMyExchange.com/sweepstakes.
Social-media-friendly version: Holiday memories could bring extra magic for three special winners. The Exchange is inviting shoppers to share their favorite holiday memories for a chance to win one of three $1,000 Exchange gift cards. Read more: https://wp.me/p9Q7PG-3kQ
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Since 1895, the Army & Air Force Exchange Service has gone where Soldiers, Airmen, Guardians and their families go to improve the quality of their lives by providing valued goods and services at exclusive military pricing. The Exchange is the 60th-largest retailer in the United States. 100% of Exchange earnings support military communities. In FY 2025, the Exchange generated $307 million for military Quality-of-Life programs. In the last 10 years, the Exchange has generated $2.4 billion in dividends to Quality-of-Life programs. The Exchange is a nonappropriated fund entity of the Department of War and is directed by a Board of Directors. To find out more about the Exchange history and mission or to view recent press releases please visit our website at http://www.shopmyexchange.com or follow us on X at https://x.com/shopmyexchange.
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Media Notes:
For more information or to schedule an interview with an Exchange representative please contact Karrington Bradley at 214-312-5111 or [email protected].
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