DiscoverEstevan and the Estevan Mercury's Million Dollar Auction concluded Thursday night at the Estevan Shoppers Mall with 31 prizes going to contestants and local businesses having made new connections.

Mack Auction Company's Norm Mack was the auctioneer, as members of the public bid on items provided by sponsors with 'auction bucks' they won through spinning a 'wheel of winning' at various locations and participating in different social media promotions put on by businesses.

Nick Yakimchuk, general manager for DiscoverEstevan, Sun 102, Rock 106, and CJ 1150, said the evening was an exclamation point on an event that began at the start of September.

"It was a great event, and to see the lineups outside of stores as we were setting up the wheel during this few-week promotion was amazing. Tonight was unreal. This place was hopping with bids. Norm Mack did an amazing job, and we really appreciate all the sponsors. To see items value at four, five hundred dollars going for forty-thousand dollars in promotional money was pretty exciting as well. It was great, and congratulations to all the winners of all the prizes. And anyone who didn't win, better luck next year."

Deanna Tarnes, publisher and sales manager for the Mercury, said it was a great way to bring people to businesses they might not have been at otherwise.

"It drove a lot of traffic into stores. A lot of clients had people come in that they hadn't seen before, made a few sales, got some new people in the door. Which is the whole goal."

Tarnes added that with so many sponsors taking part in the promotion, there was a great variety of prizes for people to bid on.

Yakimchuk said it was a fun way to help stimulate some local shopping.

"It was a great collaboration overall. I love the fact that the businesses loved the idea of bringing the two media together to do a promotion that would really drive traffic to the businesses. And I know that lots of businesses out there were seeing potential customers that they wouldn't have seen before. It was a great generator of economic growth in the area."