Tuesday, July 13, 2004

Step Outside and Win! The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) is sponsoring a writing and photography contest open to all.  Here are details:   To: ALL OUTDOOR MEDIA For Immediate Release June 17, 2004 For more information contact: Cynthia Dalena or Steve Wagner (203) 426-1320 Turn Summer Fun into Contest Winnings NEWTOWN, Conn.[~]You could turn summer fun into outdoor equipment and supplies, just by taking your camera or pen to the outdoors with you. The National Shooting Sports Foundation[base ']s STEP OUTSIDE® program is once again holding a photo and story contest to acknowledge the thrill of introducing someone, or being introduced yourself, to target shooting, archery, fishing or hunting. Prizes range from $100- to $1,000-gift certificates good for the purchase of outdoor equipment and supplies. The contest is open to outdoor enthusiasts of all ages and experience levels. [base "]Past winners have included both students and adults,[per thou] said Cynthia Dalena, STEP OUTSIDE national coordinator. [base "]We[base ']re looking for stories and photos that reflect our program[base ']s theme, which is mentoring individuals in the traditional outdoor sports of target shooting, archery, fishing or hunting. We encourage both the mentor and the person being introduced to enter the contests. One year a father and son were both winners, each writing from their own perspective.[per thou] Here are a few tips for winning. Photo Contest  Concentrate on people shots. Photos of scenery or wildlife won[base ']t win. Have more than one person in the photo. It[base ']s more difficult to demonstrate mentoring when you only show one person. Get close so your photos show the emotion (happiness, hopefully) of your subjects. Story Contest Stay within 250 to 1,000 words. Longer stories receive fewer points. Capture the emotion and personal meaning of your outing, rather than just describing the activity. Provide details of how you invited someone to go with you, or how you received your invitation. The most important tip is to enter! Contest entry forms and additional rules are available at www.stepoutside.org or by sending a self addressed stamped envelope to [base "]Contest Entry Form,[per thou] STEP OUTSIDE, 11 Mile Hill Road, Newtown, CT  06470. Entries must be received by December 31, 2004. - 30 - About STEP OUTSIDE: STEP OUTSIDE® is a program of the National Shooting Sports Foundation that has introduced over 100,000 individuals to the traditional outdoor activities of target shooting, hunting, archery or fishing. Research shows that 48 million men and women would accept an invitation to target shoot if asked. For more information about STEP OUTSIDE, visit http://www.stepoutside.org/. This is a legitimate contest, as you will see if you check out the NSSF website.  NSSF holds a similar contest for professional writers and photographers each year, but this one is open to the public, so you don't have to write or shoot photos for a living to enter. Give it a try, and help promote the shooting sports. Later... 8:51:51 PM    comment []