Facebook users across the U.S. are invited to help determine the winning photographs in Funeralwise.com’s first annual Memorial Day Photo Contest. Participants can also enter the Funeralwise.com “Fan-tastic Photo” Sweepstakes to win a 16 mega-pixel digital camera valued at $200.
Twelve images that convey the meaning and emotion associated with Memorial Day have been selected as finalists by a panel of judges. Winners will be decided by Facebook fans who “like” the Funeralwise.com page at http://www.facebook.com/funeralwise and “like” their favorite image(s).
The finalists come from across the U.S., including Bakersfield and Fresno, CA; Buffalo, NY; Columbus, MS; Fort Bragg, NC; Minnetonka, MN (Minneapolis/St. Paul area); San Francisco and San Jose, CA; Stoughton, MA (Boston area); St. Louis, MO; and Tulsa, OK.
A fan may vote for more than one photo but may only vote once for any particular photo. Winners will be determined based on total number of votes received at the conclusion of the voting period that ends at midnight on July 15, 2011.
A $500 Grand Prize goes to the photographer for the image that gets the most votes. One First Prize of $250 and one Second Prize of $100 will also be awarded.
Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, unofficially started during the Civil War as a day of remembrance for those who died in military service. Ladies in both Northern and Southern communities decorated soldiers’ graves, tapping into the general human need to honor our dead. The first official Memorial Day observance at Arlington National Cemetery was held on May 30, 1868.
Aiming to provide “Everything You Need to Know About Funerals,” Funeralwise.com features extensive information on funeral-related subjects including funeral customs, funeral etiquette, and grief support. Visitors to the site can subscribe to its “Word to the Wise” series of free guides at http://www.funeralwise.com/free-guides.