User:Neoshadow/sandbox/Sonic Sweepstakes

The Sonic the Hedgehog Watch & Win Sweepstakes was a contest held in 1993 to promote the first Sonic the Hedgehog cartoon, the syndicated Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog (not the more serious Saturday morning show).

The contest's grand prize—a $1,000 video game shopping spree—was awarded to two lucky winners, one of whom happened to be Chris. This seminal event marks both the high point of Chris's life and the first hint of his future decline into the manchild we know and troll today. The segment below was from Charlottesville NBC affiiate WVIR.

Ever since winning the Sweepstakes, Chris has entered every contest he can, expecting to win through the sheer power of his autism.

Transcript
Anchorwoman: Well, we've got a little more for ya, including what Sonic the Hedgehog means to a very special Charlottesville boy. And the significance goes way beyond the high score and videos.

[one clip cuts out and another begins]

Anchorwoman: Finally, tonight, Sonic the Hedgehog is running wildly in the Chandler household this weekend. 12-year-old Christian Chandler of Charlottesville was the winner in a video game shopping spree. Christian is one of only about a hundred winners nationally to receive $1,000 worth of Sega games and equipment. For his parents, it’s just another example of how well he's doing. Christian is a high-functioning autistic child. This past fall, of his own initiative, he entered a contest based on a favorite cartoon character.

Chris: It had to do was exactly… watch Sonic the Hedgehog… uh, cartoon… an—and risten to what Sonic says at the end of it… and writin’ it down for a whole week. And then, I had to mail it in, and I had to be drawn out of a hat, and I just won!

Anchorwoman: And Christian's father says it only takes a few hours for him to master an electronic game and then… move onto another!

Co-anchor: Unbelievable…

Anchorwoman: I can't master any of ’em! That's it for now, and it’s just… comin’ up on the NBA basketball game at 5:30. It’s not 6:30; it’s 5:30. We'll see you back here at 11:00. Thanks for watching.

Co-anchor: Good night.

Black anchorman: Buh-bye.

[one clip cuts out and another begins]

Anchorwoman: —winners nationally to receive $1,000 worth of Sega video games and equipment. Christian is autistic, but his entering the contest completely of his own accord was a sign to his parents of how well he is getting along.

Chris: It had to do was exactly… watch Sonic the Hedgehog… uh, cartoon… an—and risten to what Sonic says at the end of it… and writin’ it down for a whole week. And then, I had to mail it in, and I had to be drawn out of a hat, and I just won!

Anchorwoman: And Christian's father says it only takes a few hours for the boy to master one of the electronic games before he moves onto another one.