Into the Contest Rode the 57

The deadline for the first annual Okefenokee Heritage Center Writer's Guild Writing Contest has passed.

We have a total of 57 entries, 56 on their way to judges.

This is not bad for a first year effort, and is comparable to the level of participation in the Ben Smith Art Contest, the winners of which will be announced at the same event as ours, on October 2nd.

The number of adult entries to secondary is fairly balanced.  The adults have 31 compared to secondary's 25.  The elementary group was a problem, with only one entry (which is why that one entry is not on it's way to a judge).  Hopefully, that can be addressed for next year's contest.

We still have a ways to go, getting the judges scoring sheets back, collating results, getting certificates of achievement ready, getting cash prizes ready, winners informed and announced, post promotion of winning entries.  But I am pleased with what we have done so far.

Success takes diverse hands.

I want to thank Leslie Crane and Robert Stewart for promoting the contest and bringing in entries from their prospective schools.

I want to thank Julianna Lacefield for have taken our entry forms and information to individual schools in Ware County.

I want to thank Barbara Griffin and Lamar Deal for securing the adult judges and devising the scoring system.

I want to thank Elizabeth Welch for her kind and generous financial donation.  Between Elizabeth, The Strait Line and entry fees, we have no trouble meeting the costs of the contests.

I want to thank Michael Lee and April Sheuring for their participation and support, especially at a time when I was feeling particularly battered and low.

I want to thank each and every guild member that participated and assisted, and everyone who took the time to prepare a story or poem for our contest.

I want to thank Steve and Betty of the Heritage Center for their kind help in collecting the entry fees, organizing our bookkeeping, and preparing the entries for the judge's packets.

I hope this is only the beginning.  I hope that as we learn from experience, and the contest becomes more well known, we only grow and have a positive impact on our community.