The United Way of Martin County’s Step Up Challenge came to an exciting conclusion as Debbie Pappas of Stuart won the 2007 Dodge Caliber that was the sweepstakes prize.

United Way and Massey-Yardley Chrysler Dodge had teamed up during the summer to encourage more people to “step up” and help their community. The Hobe Sound auto dealership donated a 2007 Dodge Caliber, and the United Way Step Up Challenge sweepstakes began.

Mrs. Pappas won the car during an event Jan. 6 at Macy’s at the Treasure Coast Square mall, with store manager Richard Levine – this year’s chairman of the United Way of Martin County campaign – leading the proceedings.

The people of Martin County are big winners too: There were 1,390 entrants in the Step Up Challenge, amounting to donations of $72,280 for the United Way community impact fund, which supports dozens of vital programs that improve people’s lives.

Here’s how the winner was decided:

Ten finalists were chosen in a random drawing Dec. 28, 2006. Then, they gathered at 11 a.m. Jan. 6, 2007, at Macy's for an event to determine the winner of the Dodge Caliber. (One finalist was a no-show.)

Each of the nine finalists in attendance chose a key and then tried to unlock the door of the Caliber. One by one, the finalists tried the keys (in the order that they were chosen in the random drawing). The tension mounted until there was just one key left.

Debbie Pappas, a teller at the Cove Road branch of Seacoast National Bank, was the lucky final finalist because that last key opened the car. She had a cheering section – her husband, Nick, and 3-year-old son, Christopher.

Here are the finalists, listed in order of their random drawing:

• Tracey Knapp, Macy's

• Brenda Koncoski, Martin County Board of County Commissioners

• Joyce Topping, Anderson Middle School

• Maria Holladay, Publix

• Bryan Irvine, Martin County Sheriff's Office

• Earl Cunningham, American Red Cross

• Sheila Hunt, Martin Memorial Health Systems

• Christopher Marseille, JC Penney (did not attend event)

• Colleen Henning, Seacoast National Bank

• Debbie Pappas, Seacoast National Bank

To enter the United Way Step Up Challenge sweepstakes, people 18 and older were asked to make a donation of $52 (a buck a week) to United Way this year. It could be a new donation or an increase over the past year’s donation. The sweepstakes started in August and concluded Dec. 28.

The United Way of Martin County’s campaign goal is $2.2 million and stands at about the half-way mark. The campaign will conclude at the end of March.

More information about United Way of Martin County is available at www.unitedwaymartincounty.org or by calling (772) 283-4800.