This spring one TheBAYNET.com advertiser decided to have some fun and give away some merchandise to a lucky TBN reader. Raley’s Home Furnishings decided that they would hold a contest to see who out there in Southern Maryland had the oldest, most decrepit couch around.

Van Ryswick's from left to right: Sara, Derek, Mary and in front, Mikey sit on and around the star of the show - the ugly couch winning entry that landed the family $1000 in new furniture from Raley's Home Furnishings.

The contest began and after receiving hundreds of entries, on June 1, Raley’s found the ‘lucky’ winner – Mary Van Ryswick who supplied a picture of her family and an old couch in need of repair.

For her efforts, Van Ryswick and her family will receive $1000 worth of furniture compliments of the long established furniture retailer.

TheBAYNET.com had the opportunity to catch up with Van Ryswick and her nine-year-old son, Mikey, and six and a half-year old daughter, Sara, as they looked through Raley’s furniture selections deciding what they wanted.

When TBN asked Mickey what he thought of his mother winning, he said, “I really expected Mom to win because that couch was really ugly!”

Van Ryswick, it turns out, is a fairly accomplished St. Mary’s resident. She has been a teacher at St. Michael’s in Ridge for 14 years and just this past year, received the Tim Russert, Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award from the Arch Diocese of Washington, D.C. for her work as a Kindergarten teacher.

Her husband Michael is an electrical engineer that works for the government and the family lives in Leonardtown. In addition to Mikey and Sara, they have a three-year-old son Derek.

“The children are very active,” explained Van Ryswick. “They are in 4-H, swimming, taekwondo and more,” she said. Van Ryswick is also active herself playing in a softball league on a winning team.

The Van Ryswick’s are currently remodeling their living room and when they are done,  they will make their final furniture selection. When asked about the old couch that helped them to win the contest, Van Ryswick said, “We’ll keep that and find something to do with it.”

The old couch was her parents which they purchased in the 70s.