OMG….I was biting my nails all day today. I logged on this morning just to randomly check and holy WOW was it close!!! And to think…..the whole idea for this contest stemmed from an experience I had from TEEN Magazine-which you can read all about by clicking on the picture below.

So what was this contest all about? Students were asked to submit a paragraph on how they could help to promote anti-bullying within their communities, their schools, etc. in order to win a chance to get all sorts of prom goodies for FREE plus $500 CASH! Out of all the entries, 5 Finalist were chosen and YOU got to vote for the idea you like the best! I never dreamed that I’d be able to provide the same thing for someone else and that generous donations from local businesses would make this whole idea possible! I want to sincerely thank all of my sponsors for allowing my idea to come to life and the opportunity to pay it forward AND for being part of my journey to bring awareness to bullying. It all starts with an idea….

I’m so excited to finally announce the winner of the 2012 Prom Contest sponsored by the following vendors:

drum roll please………………

With a total of 457 votes, the official winner is: Victoria (Tori) Baca

Who’s getting $500 CASH and lots of prom goodies???….THIS GIRL!!!!!!! WOOT WOOT!!!

I believe people who bully others have insecurities about themselves too. Therefore I
would like to see individuals, whether they are the bully or victim, chose what they consider to
be their weakest attribute/quality and portray it in a way they perceive as beautiful. Everyone can
be creative in representing the quality they are most insecure about such as making drawings,
poems/writings, or even a joke. This could prevent bullying by showing those who bully the
other side of their actions. It could help those who are victimized by giving them a way to be
proud of something they were previously embarrassed of.

Congratulations Tori!!!! You get $500 cash to spend on prom, free hair and makeup, free flowers, and free tux for your prom date!

Tori, I can’t WAIT to work with you!! You are going to be GORGEOUS!!!!!! Now go celebrate <happy dance happy dance>

I want to also thank everyone who entered the contest. Not only do I give you props for taking the time to write your essays but by having your friends and family vote, you were helping to spread awareness about bullying…and for that you are all winners! I know there can only be one official winner but I want to extend a little thank you to everyone who took the time to write a paragraph to participate in the contest-whether your entry was a finalist or not, I want to give you $100 print credit towards your future senior portrait session. Email me and I’ll get you taken care of!

For those of you who voted…..you have no idea how grateful we all are! Thanks for helping to bring awareness!! 🙂