Winter Texans who complete the Winter Texan Survey inserted in today’s issue of the Winter Texan Times will get a chance to win free prizes.

A survey of Winter Texans and their economic impact on the Rio Grande Val­ley is conducted every two years by the University of Texas-Pan American Tour­ism Research Center, with assistance from the Winter Texan Times. Winter Texans who complete and send in the survey form, enclosed in today’s issue of the Winter Texan Times, will automatically be entered in a drawing for free prizes. First and second prizes of $100 cash each will be awarded, courtesy of the Winter Texan Times. In addition, $1 will be donated to the RGV Food Bank for each completed questionnaire returned, up to $1,000.

The Winter Texan Times partners with the University of Texas-Pan American to conduct the bi-annual survey of Winter Texans.

The survey can also be completed online at http://utpa.edu/wintertexan.

To enter the prize drawing, fill out the survey form completely and mail it to the Tourism Research Center at the address printed on the form no later than Feb. 26. Survey forms may also be dropped off at the Winter Texan Times office, located at 1217 N. Conway, Mission. All survey forms received by Feb. 26 will be entered in the drawing, including those completed online. Only one survey per household will be permitted.

The survey is an important tool for the university Tourism Research Center to measure the economic impact of Winter Texans in the Rio Grande Valley.

"All information pro­vided will be kept confidential. The data will be tabulated and only statistical information will be made public," said Dr. Penny Simp­son, associate dean of the College of Business Administration at UTPA.

"More than 1,000 Winter Texans responded to the last survey, conducted in 2010," Brunson said. "We hope Winter Texans help us beat that number this year by taking a minute and fill out the survey.”

Additional copies of the survey form are available at select chamber of commerce offices in the Valley.