Local & Bistate
Red Cross sponsoring writing contest
Winning essay gets Keith Urban tickets
TERRE HAUTE — The American Red Cross is putting a call out for personal stories of how the Red Cross has changed lives in a contest in which one could win tickets to a Keith Urban concert.
In 75 words or less, volunteers, supporters or clients are asked to tell how the Red Cross has affected their lives or someone else’s for the first national “Change a Life Contest.”
All entries must be submitted at www.redcross.org. The free contest began Monday and ends March 16.
Carol Stevens, executive director of the Wabash Valley Red Cross, expects a variety of stories to come from the Wabash Valley aside from flood recovery.
“That was certainly a benchmark in the history of the community, but the Red Cross is here in the community doing many things every day,” she said.
Stevens said they receive many calls and e-mails about such things as how the choking training someone received saved a co-worker or family member. Other stories could be from a client about a volunteer who came to a house fire in the middle of the night or from a contributor about why he or she chooses to donate to the Red Cross, she said.
Anyone can enter except employees of the Red Cross.
“I hope people will participate,” Stevens said, noting that it’s a new way to communicate to share human interest stories.
Judging will be done in two stages. The first stage will judge stories on the following criteria: The story reflects the Red Cross mission and one or more of its core services; its ability to describe how the Red Cross affected the person as well as the benefits people experience when they get involved with or encounter the Red Cross; and writing that is clear, concise and creative.
Five entries with the highest scores from the first stage will be finalists and move on to the second stage, which will be judged on the same criteria as the first stage, but by a different panel of judges.
The grand prize winner will receive a trip for two to Washington, D.C., to see country music singer Keith Urban perform Aug. 20. The package includes hotel accommodations, backstage passes and a tour of the American Red Cross national headquarters.
Second prize will be a 52-inch Philips HD LCD television, DVD player and library of Red Cross preparedness and safety DVDs. The top five finalists will receive a vintage Red Cross T-shirt while everyone who enters will receive a 10 percent discount in the redcross.org store.
Winners will be announced March 31.
For more information, visit www.redcross.org.
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