Pictured are some of the winning contestants.
Below Canastota Librarian Liz Metzger, center, is shown with contest founders Doug and Joan Eddy.
(Canastota, NY – April 2015) The 15th Annual Rebecca Eddy Memorial Writing Contest was recently held at the Canastota Public Library. Contestants entering this year were from Canastota, Morrisville, Cazenovia, Oneida and Wampsville.
Entrants were able to enter their short stories and poetry in one of four age categories.
The contest was organized by Joan and Doug Eddy as a memorial to their daughter, Rebecca Eddy, a local Canastota woman who died at a young age in an automobile accident. Ms. Eddy was a graduate of Canastota High School as well as a graduate of John Hopkins University. She was an athlete, an artist, a thespian and a scholar.
Eddy felt a passion towards writing and also towards her community. Joan and Doug Eddy were on hand to congratulate the winners and to encourage them to continue writing.
The winners of this year’s competition were named at a special awards ceremony at the library on Monday, April 13.
The winners included the following:
Poem 10 and Under
Maya Tucci, 1st Place
Destiny Hart, 2nd Place
Adam Wojsiat, Honorable Mention
Faith Hart, Honorable Mention
Short Story 10 and Under
Kiefer Shortell, 1st Place
Poem 11-14
Katrina Campbell, 1st Place
Julia Draves, 2nd Place
Kathryn Wojsiat, Honorable Mention
Short Story 11-14
Kathryn Kielbasinski, 1st Place
Jeremy Domena, 2nd Place
Xavier Farwell, Honorable Mention
Poem 15-18
Nathan DeCock, 1st Place
Peter Draves, 2nd Place
Short Story 15-18
Jeremy Howard, 1st Place
Victoria Shanahan, 2nd Place
Poem 18 and Older
Martha Fischer, 1st Place
Sandra Miley, 2nd Place
Glenn Miley, Honorable Mention
Jeanne Dunn, Honorable Mention
Short Story 18 and Older
Dean Wittwer, 1st Place
Joanne Berezin, 2nd Place
Mabel Smith, Honorable Mention
All contestants received a certificate for entering the competition. First and second place award winners also received a cash prize of $25 and $10 respectively. Every participant also received a bookmark of one of Rebecca’s poems.
After the awards presentation, writers were encouraged to read a portion of their work to the audience.
The contest is coordinated each year by the Canastota Public Library at 102 W. Center Street in Canastota.