Lexington, KY - Last year, for our annual Smiley Pete Publishing Give Guide, we tried something different from our standard mode of storytelling each month -
we asked you, our readers, to help us tell the story of some of the most important, and personally meaningful, organizations in Lexington.
We put out a call for submissions for personal essays at the same time last year, and we weren't really sure what we would get. Or worse, we weren't sure if we would get anything at all. The five best narratives, determined by our editors, would be published in our January issue, along with a glowing feature about the organization that would be written by our staff.
Much to our surprise, dozens of submissions came pouring in; much to our dismay, nearly every one of them was well written. Judging was fierce. But in the end, we felt the five we chose, featuring Chrysalis House, Central Kentucky Riding for Hope, Brain Injury Alliance of Kentucky, the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Bluegrass and the International Book Project, were the best of the lot, and we were proud of the work we were able to publish.
Building off of the success of last year's Give Guide Essay Contest, we hope we have even more submissions to choose from this year. So please take a moment to contemplate on your experiences with all of Lexington's charities and non-profits -
be it as a volunteer or as a beneficiary of services -
and get ready to share your thoughts.
Smiley Pete Publishing Give Guide 2011 Essay Contest
How to Enter:
1. Write a short personal narrative about how a Lexington charity or non-profit has positively impacted your life or somebody else's life. Essays should not be more than 300 words. (We're sorry, but if you are the employee or a charity or non-profit, you are excluded from writing about that particular organization. We do encourage volunteers to submit, however.)
2. E-mail the essay here. Essays can also be faxed to (859) 255-0672 or dropped by our office at 434 Old Vine Street. Be sure to include your contact information and contact information for the organization you have written about.
3. Essays must be received by Nov. 23 to be eligible.