Temecula Amazon Driver Wins $25K In 'Alexa, Thank My Driver' Campaign

TEMECULA, CA — If you asked Alexa to thank your delivery driver over the holidays, you might have helped a Temecula delivery guy win the top prize in the "Alexa, Thank My Driver" contest.

Matthew Sanders, 26, accepted his $25,000 bonus and an additional $25,000 to the driver's charity of choice at Tuesday's ceremony at the Temecula delivery station. He is one of five drivers across the nation to win the top honor, according to Amazon Vice President of World Wide Delivery, Noor Patel.

Sanders is celebrating his first anniversary as a delivery driver for Leading Edge Logistix, LLC, on Wednesday, he said. He is still delivering packages to Temecula area homes and businesses. According to Noor Patel, Amazon's Worldwide Vice President of Delivery Service Partners, Sanders earned nearly 700 "thank you's" from his customers during the peak holiday delivery season.

Sanders set himself apart by giving his delivery customers a candy cane gift with a note to "thank the driver" during the contest, he told Patch.

Each night, he and his fiance would stay up late cutting slips of paper, attaching them to candies, and then handing them out at each address. Then, they would do it again for the next day, he said. "It was a lot of work, but all worth it."

Sean Redwine, owner of Leading Edge Logistix, LLC in Temecula, shared a bit about his driver.

"We couldn't be more proud of him," Redwine said. "He made a plan, put it in motion, and we couldn't be more proud of him."

Along with his bonus, he chose to donate the $25,000 charity award to the World Wildlife Fund, which works to preserve wildlife and reduce human impact on the environment.

"I deeply care about the well-being of animals and the preservation of biodiversity," he said at the award event. "By supporting the WWF, I contribute to their essential work in defending habitats and combating climate change. Together, we can make a meaningful difference in safeguarding our planet's incredible diversity and ensuring a sustainable future for all living beings."

Learn more about Amazon's "Alexa, Thank My Driver" campaign HERE.