WINNERS!
Here are some stories of essay contest winners:
Click on images to access web sites where available.
This page last updated on 4/4/07.
Summer, 1929 - Clarinetist/bandleader Artie Shaw writes an essay that wins him
a round-trip ticket to Los Angeles, in a contest sponsored by the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper. The trip changed the path of his life. While in Los Angeles, Artie
joined Irving Aaronson's Commanders, a touring big band based in L.A. While touring with the group, Shaw was introduced to the music of Stravinsky,
Debussy, Bartok, Ravel and other classical masters. In the process, he "discovered a whole new world," as he would later write in his semi-biographical novel, The Trouble with Cinderella.
Spring, 1993 - Janice & Richard Cox, from Annapolis, Maryland, wrote a 250-word essay and sent in a $100 entry fee which won them a 188-year-old country inn in Center Lovell, Maine. Their entry was one of over 5,000 judged (7000+ were submitted!) to Bil & Susie Mosca, the prior owners.
Janice & Richard still operate the inn today!
Summer, 1994 - Art student Jay Mulligan, from Boston, Massachusetts, wrote an essay which won him Connie Doolan's Pub in Cobh, County Cork, Ireland in the very first Guinness "Win Your Own Pub" essay contest.
Summer, 1995 - Frank Gallagher, a 65-year-old Fort Lauderdale retiree, wins the Kilgoban Pub, a 150-year-old establishment in Bantry, West Cork, Ireland. He and his wife, June, moved to Ireland to take possession of the pub.
Winter, 1995 - Philip Bonner, a 48-year-old dentist from Fairburn, Georgia, wins an eleven-day trip to three international destinations of his choice.
Summer, 1996 - Shann Weston, a 45-year-old state wildlife specialist and mother of two from Portland, Oregon, wins the Seanachaoi Pub in the ancient village of Killaloe, County Clare, Ireland. Shann was one of the 10 finalists, selected from over 55,000 entries, to travel to Killaloe to compete for the keys to the pub.
Summer, 1996 - another article about Shann Weston's win above.
Summer, 1997 - Douglas Knight, a professional music technician and recording engineer from Minneapolis, Minnesota, wins J. Morrisey's Pub in Cahir, County Tipperary, Ireland. He and his wife, Suzanne, now call the pub "home."
Summer, 1997 - another article about Douglas Knight's win above.
Spring, 1998 - Graham Warner, from Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, wins a Cessna Turbo 337B Super Skymaster airplane with an original essay entitled "Flight of Fantasy" which he submitted in a corked, antique bottle.
Summer, 1998 - Trevor O'Driscoll, a 22-year-old paralegal from New York wrote a 50-word essay that won him Finucane's Pub in Listowel, County Kerry, Ireland.
Summer, 1998 - Edward A. Novak, III wins a trip for two to Stuttgart, Germany with his essay entitled
"The Feeling You Get."
Summer, 1999 - Erika Lee, from Portland, Oregon, wins the keys to J. O'Sullivan's Pub in Newcastle West, County Limerick, Ireland.
AUDIO INTERVIEW 3/17/01: On Winning a Pub (14.4 | 28.8)
[requires a sound card - be patient - may take a few minutes to load]
National Public Radio All Things Considered Host Lisa Simeone talks with Portland, Oregon native Erika Lee, who now lives in New Castle West in County Limerick, Ireland. Two years ago, Erika became the proprietor of "J. O'Sullivans," after winning the "win your own pub contest" sponsored by Guinness. She's enjoying her new life. (4:00)
Summer, 1999 - Cheryl Barnes, of Nicholasville, Kentucky, penned the Grand Prize-winning entry in the Sears/Kenmore "Dream Kitchen Contest".
Summer, 1999 - Horace Jacobson, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, wins a new Volkswagen Beetle with a 100-word essay.
January, 2000 - Nat Conig wins $2000 with an essay entry in the WorldStories "Writer's Life: What's Your Story" contest.
Spring, 2000 - Marc Alexander writes an essay that wins him the SurfSide Café in Santa Barbara, California. Congratulations Marc!
Summer, 2000 - Terry & Kendra Walsh submitted the winning essay in the Cooking Light Magazine 2000-2001 $30,000 Kitchen Makeover Contest. Theirs was selected from over 5000 entries!
October, 2000 - Kandiace Buchheister from Las Vegas NV wins a café in the Colorado mountains with a unique recipe for success. Read the winning entry here. Congratulations Kandiace!
Summer, 2001 - Bill & Cathy Scott, of Cincinnati, Ohio, wrote the winning essay in the Cooking Light Magazine 2001-2002 $35,000 Kitchen Makeover Contest.
July, 2001 - David McNair, of Vancouver, British Columbia, wins an $800,000 home in Manhattan Beach, CA, with $195 and a well-worded essay! David's was one of over 3000 entries that contest organizer Ben Waldrep (pictured at left) received by his contest deadline. Read more about the contest here.
December, 2001 - Erik Olson of Middleton, Wisconsin, wrote the essay that won him the grand prize of a Lamborghini Countach Replica. Congratulations Eric!
Summer, 2002 - Cathy & Aaron Zimmer, of Aurora, Colorado, were the winners of the Cooking Light 2002-2003 $35,000 Kitchen Makeover Contest. A committee of the magazine's representatives chose the Zimmer's entry from thousands received from all across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.
November, 2002 - New Scientist magazine held a unique and weird essay competition which offered the winner a prize of a second chance at life, rather than the inevitability of death, via a cryonics treatment at the Cryonics Institute of Michigan, a procedure normally costing $28,000. When the winner of the New Scientist promotion would eventually be pronounced legally dead, he or she would be prepared and cooled to a temperature where physical decay of the body stops. The person would then be suspended in liquid nitrogen at –196°, in a state known as cryonic preservation. When and if medical technology allowed, the winner would hopefully then be healed, revived and awoken to extended life in youthful good health.
As an alternative prize, in case the winner preferred to live now, rather than live later, New Scientist offered a week in Hawaii with the opportunity to peer billions of years back in time by observing distant parts of the Universe from the Mauna Kea Observatory.
The author of the winning essay, a woman from Great Britain who asked to remain anonymous, chose to Rest In Poi with the trip to Hawaii.
This page last updated on 4/4/07.
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Summer, 1929 - Clarinetist/bandleader Artie Shaw writes an essay that wins him a round-trip ticket to Los Angeles, in a contest sponsored by the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper. The trip changed the path of his life. While in Los Angeles, Artie joined Irving Aaronson's Commanders, a touring big band based in L.A. While touring with the group, Shaw was introduced to the music of Stravinsky, Debussy, Bartok, Ravel and other classical masters. In the process, he "discovered a whole new world," as he would later write in his semi-biographical novel, The Trouble with Cinderella. |
| Spring, 1993 - Janice & Richard Cox, from Annapolis, Maryland, wrote a 250-word essay and sent in a $100 entry fee which won them a 188-year-old country inn in Center Lovell, Maine. Their entry was one of over 5,000 judged (7000+ were submitted!) to Bil & Susie Mosca, the prior owners. Janice & Richard still operate the inn today! |
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Summer, 1994 - Art student Jay Mulligan, from Boston, Massachusetts, wrote an essay which won him Connie Doolan's Pub in Cobh, County Cork, Ireland in the very first Guinness "Win Your Own Pub" essay contest. |
| Summer, 1995 - Frank Gallagher, a 65-year-old Fort Lauderdale retiree, wins the Kilgoban Pub, a 150-year-old establishment in Bantry, West Cork, Ireland. He and his wife, June, moved to Ireland to take possession of the pub. | |
|
Winter, 1995 - Philip Bonner, a 48-year-old dentist from Fairburn, Georgia, wins an eleven-day trip to three international destinations of his choice. |
| Summer, 1996 - Shann Weston, a 45-year-old state wildlife specialist and mother of two from Portland, Oregon, wins the Seanachaoi Pub in the ancient village of Killaloe, County Clare, Ireland. Shann was one of the 10 finalists, selected from over 55,000 entries, to travel to Killaloe to compete for the keys to the pub. | |
|
Summer, 1996 - another article about Shann Weston's win above. |
| Summer, 1997 - Douglas Knight, a professional music technician and recording engineer from Minneapolis, Minnesota, wins J. Morrisey's Pub in Cahir, County Tipperary, Ireland. He and his wife, Suzanne, now call the pub "home." | |
|
Summer, 1997 - another article about Douglas Knight's win above. |
| Spring, 1998 - Graham Warner, from Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, wins a Cessna Turbo 337B Super Skymaster airplane with an original essay entitled "Flight of Fantasy" which he submitted in a corked, antique bottle. | |
|
Summer, 1998 - Trevor O'Driscoll, a 22-year-old paralegal from New York wrote a 50-word essay that won him Finucane's Pub in Listowel, County Kerry, Ireland. |
|
Summer, 1998 - Edward A. Novak, III wins a trip for two to Stuttgart, Germany with his essay entitled "The Feeling You Get." |
| Summer, 1999 - Erika Lee, from Portland, Oregon, wins the keys to J. O'Sullivan's Pub in Newcastle West, County Limerick, Ireland. | |
| AUDIO INTERVIEW 3/17/01: On Winning a Pub (14.4 | 28.8) [requires a sound card - be patient - may take a few minutes to load] National Public Radio All Things Considered Host Lisa Simeone talks with Portland, Oregon native Erika Lee, who now lives in New Castle West in County Limerick, Ireland. Two years ago, Erika became the proprietor of "J. O'Sullivans," after winning the "win your own pub contest" sponsored by Guinness. She's enjoying her new life. (4:00) |
| Summer, 1999 - Cheryl Barnes, of Nicholasville, Kentucky, penned the Grand Prize-winning entry in the Sears/Kenmore "Dream Kitchen Contest". | |
|
Summer, 1999 - Horace Jacobson, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, wins a new Volkswagen Beetle with a 100-word essay. |
| January, 2000 - Nat Conig wins $2000 with an essay entry in the WorldStories "Writer's Life: What's Your Story" contest. | |
|
Spring, 2000 - Marc Alexander writes an essay that wins him the SurfSide Café in Santa Barbara, California. Congratulations Marc! |
| Summer, 2000 - Terry & Kendra Walsh submitted the winning essay in the Cooking Light Magazine 2000-2001 $30,000 Kitchen Makeover Contest. Theirs was selected from over 5000 entries! | |
|
October, 2000 - Kandiace Buchheister from Las Vegas NV wins a café in the Colorado mountains with a unique recipe for success. Read the winning entry here. Congratulations Kandiace! |
| Summer, 2001 - Bill & Cathy Scott, of Cincinnati, Ohio, wrote the winning essay in the Cooking Light Magazine 2001-2002 $35,000 Kitchen Makeover Contest. | |
|
July, 2001 - David McNair, of Vancouver, British Columbia, wins an $800,000 home in Manhattan Beach, CA, with $195 and a well-worded essay! David's was one of over 3000 entries that contest organizer Ben Waldrep (pictured at left) received by his contest deadline. Read more about the contest here. |
|
December, 2001 - Erik Olson of Middleton, Wisconsin, wrote the essay that won him the grand prize of a Lamborghini Countach Replica. Congratulations Eric! |
| Summer, 2002 - Cathy & Aaron Zimmer, of Aurora, Colorado, were the winners of the Cooking Light 2002-2003 $35,000 Kitchen Makeover Contest. A committee of the magazine's representatives chose the Zimmer's entry from thousands received from all across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. | |
| November, 2002 - New Scientist magazine held a unique and weird essay competition which offered the winner a prize of a second chance at life, rather than the inevitability of death, via a cryonics treatment at the Cryonics Institute of Michigan, a procedure normally costing $28,000. When the winner of the New Scientist promotion would eventually be pronounced legally dead, he or she would be prepared and cooled to a temperature where physical decay of the body stops. The person would then be suspended in liquid nitrogen at –196°, in a state known as cryonic preservation. When and if medical technology allowed, the winner would hopefully then be healed, revived and awoken to extended life in youthful good health. As an alternative prize, in case the winner preferred to live now, rather than live later, New Scientist offered a week in Hawaii with the opportunity to peer billions of years back in time by observing distant parts of the Universe from the Mauna Kea Observatory. The author of the winning essay, a woman from Great Britain who asked to remain anonymous, chose to Rest In Poi with the trip to Hawaii. |
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