Rebecca Eddy Memorial Writing Contest Awards Ceremony

More than fifty children and adult contestants entered their original poetry and short stories in the Canastota Public Library’s 10th Annual Rebecca Eddy Memorial Writing Contest this year. One surprise this year was the announcement of several drawings for all participants who attended the Annual Awards Ceremony. A laptop computer and various raffle basket winner’s names were drawn from those participants who attended the awards ceremony.


Drawing Winners
Dell Laptop: Donna Walrath
Raffle Baskets: Madelyn Milligan, Tricia Green, Marleah Roseman and Jeffery VanLiew
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 Thursday, November 18.

The winners included the following:
10 and under Short Story
1st Place Kacey Cashel
2nd Place Megan Cretaro
Honorable Mention M. Loryn Wilcox
11-14 Poem:
1st Place Stephanie Seitz
2nd Place Harley Whitmeyer
Honorable Mention M. William Milligan

11-14 Short Story:
1st Place Sarah Cretaro
2nd Place Lydia Scheuermann
Honorable Mention Holly Popple
Honorable Mention Allie Cretaro

15-18 Poem:
1st Place Melissa McGovern
2nd Place Cassidy Backus
Honorable Mention Chris Bradley

15-18 Short Story:
1st Place Jessica McCallops
2nd Place Ryan McDowell
Honorable Mention Marleah Roseman

18 and over Poem:
1st Place Bernie Conklin
2nd Place Margaret LeBlanc
Honorable Mention Michael Seagriff
Honorable Mention Anne DeFrancisco

18 and Over Short Story:
1st Place Michael Seagriff
2nd Place Pam Maihafer
Honorable Mention Olin Davis
Honorable Mention Rachael Ikins
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.