Lucky Oklahoman Wins Luxury Motor Home in Nevada RV Adventure Sweepstakes

Lt. Governor Hunt Presents Keys to Winnebago Sightseer

LAS VEGAS, Dec. 15 -- Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt, chair of the Nevada Commission on Tourism (NCOT), presented the keys to a luxury motor home Monday to a retired Army officer from Oklahoma who won the 2003 Nevada RV Adventure Sweepstakes.

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Walter Gund, 57, of Bixby, Okla., received a 2004 Winnebago Sightseer at Caesars Palace resort-casino before the opening of Nevada's 20th Anniversary Governor's Conference on Tourism. He entered the sweepstakes at the KOA Kampground in Ely, a scenic historic mining town in eastern Nevada, during a two-month tour with six other RVers. NCOT also awarded the Ely KOA $1,000 for being the participating park that produced the sweepstakes winner.

"We congratulate Colonel Gund as he explores Nevada's scenic highways and byways," Hunt said. "Traveling Nevada by RV is a great way to experience dramatic desert scenery, outdoor recreation and adventure attractions." Hunt is chair of the Nevada Commission on Tourism (NCOT), which produces the Governor's Conference on Tourism and sponsored the RV Adventure Sweepstakes to promote recreational vehicle travel on Nevada's wide-open highways."

RV travelers submitted 12,190 entries at 72 participating Nevada RV parks, state parks, chambers of commerce and visitor centers this year, the final year of the three-year promotional giveaway that began in 2001.

Gund said he and his wife, Cleone, are avid RVers, and frequent visitors to Nevada, including Lake Tahoe and Winnemucca. Gund has volunteered his time and energy to many nonprofit organizations in Bixby, a Tulsa suburb, and is a lifetime member of the Good Sam Club for RVers.

"Nevada's RV-friendly highways make the state a perfect destination for motor home travel," Bruce Bommarito, NCOT executive director, said. "RVs are unbeatable for comfort and convenience and NCOT will continue to promote this mode of travel."

The Recreation Vehicle Industry Association of America says RV travel attracts more than 30 million enthusiasts across the United States who stay in 16,000 RV parks and campgrounds. RVers in Nevada can choose from among 175 RV parks throughout the state. For more information about the Nevada RV Adventure Sweepstakes, visit www.travelnevada.com and click on "RV Info" on the home page or call 1-800-NEVADA-8.