National Retail Solutions Partners With El Especialito on ‘Where’s Paco?’ Contest With $1,000 Prize

NEWARK, N.J. — National Retail Solutions has partnered with El Especialito to launch the “Where’s Paco?” (“¿Dónde Está Paco?”) community print contest, an interactive initiative aimed at celebrating local journalism, encouraging family engagement and rewarding readers with a $1,000 grand prize.

“Neighborhood bodegas and local media are the heartbeat of the Hispanic community,” said Elie Y. Katz, president and CEO of National Retail Solutions. “Supporting the El Especialito contest ‘Where’s Paco?’ allows us to give back directly to the readers who support these essential local businesses every day.”

The contest invites readers to explore the physical newspaper each week to find Paco the Puma, the official mascot of National Retail Solutions. To participate, readers must locate the hidden illustration of Paco inside the printed weekly edition of El Especialito, take a clear photograph of the full newspaper page where the character appears and upload the photo through the official contest page.

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Participants who successfully find Paco in at least four separate weekly editions and submit qualifying entries will be entered into a random drawing for the $1,000 prize.

The contest runs in El Especialito’s weekly editions from Feb. 20 through April 10. The final deadline for submissions is April 15 at 12 a.m. EST.

National Retail Solutions said sponsoring the $1,000 prize expands the reach of an initiative designed to connect families, support small businesses and strengthen local neighborhoods.

“El Especialito has always believed that our role goes beyond publishing entertainment and news,” said Anthony Ibarria, general manager of El Especialito. “‘Where’s Paco?’ gives our readers a reason to interact with the paper in a hands-on way each week. With NRS’s continued partnership, we are able to create something that is fun, engaging and meaningful for our community.”

National Retail Solutions, a subsidiary of IDT Corporation, operates a point-of-sale system and NRS Pay payment processing services for thousands of independent retailers across the United States and Canada. The company provides store management and checkout systems for small and midsize businesses.

El Especialito, described as the largest Spanish-language weekly newspaper in the United States, provides news, entertainment and community coverage for Hispanic neighborhoods nationwide.

Paco the Puma serves as the official mascot of National Retail Solutions, symbolizing the strength and resilience of independent bodega owners and their communities.