And the readers going to the Royals playoffs are …

Four lucky Startland News readers are heading to see the Kansas City Royals take on the Houston Astros this Thursday and Friday.

From more than 300 contestants, a random number generator selected Tom Bliss and Marybeth Oliver as the winners, each of whom will bring one friend.

Bliss, who serves as executive director of the Missouri Association of Councils of Government, successfully rallied several friends to sign up to Startland, earning him Royals tickets in the referral contest.

“Are you serious? Wow!” Bliss said upon receiving the news that he won. “This is great news for me. … I’ve been a Royals fan since I was a kid — since back in the 1970s with Whitey (Herzog) and even before Whitey. This is so cool!”

A relatively new Royals fan, Oliver was selected randomly among hundreds of Startlanders to win the new subscriber contest.

“I won the tickets?” said Oliver, an executive assistant and intranet content editor at UnitedLex. “Oh my gosh — I never win anything! I’m so happy.”

Thank you to all those who participated in this contest. We look forward to continuing our service to the area community with coverage on its entrepreneurs and innovators.

Go Royals!