Adults, Kids Can Enjoy Summer Fun, Prizes!

Write a Story or Take a Photograph by July 31st

Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of The Peak and win a fantastic prize, such as a stay at a local resort, an Apple iPod nano, a Panasonic 7-megapixal digital camera, gift cards and gift certificates from Best Buy, AMC Entertainment, and fine dining establishments. Once again, the Greater Pinnacle Peak Association (GPPA) and A Peek at the Peak (The Peak) are sponsoring their 5th Annual Summer Fun contests. This year’s Summer Fun is bigger and better than ever with two contests, both with adult and youth (under 18) divisions, and separate prizes for 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rdplace in each division. It adds up to more winners, more prizes, and more fun!

Don’t be shy. Try your hand at writing about a desert “critter” or taking a photograph of “what you think is worth preserving in our community” and submit it to The Peak by July 31, 2008 and you can win a valuable prize and enjoy the satisfaction of having your work published both in our popular magazine and online.

WOW! What prizes!

Apple iPod nano 4GB. Holds up to 1,000 songs, up to 3,500 photos, up to 4 hours of video, or some of each for your viewing and/or listening pleasure.
Two-night stay at The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Resort.
Panasonic Lumix Compact 7.2-Megapixel Digital Camera. It has a five star rating on Amazon.com and features that enable you to easily take clear beautiful shots without knowing a lot about cameras.
Surprise Gift from el Pedregal Shops and Dining and the Boulders Resort.
Two-night stay at The Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North in a luxurious casita guestroom, including breakfast for two at the Crescent Moon restaurant. In addition to its award-winning spa, the resort features a lagoon-style pool with complimentary poolside cabanas, golf at Troon North, hiking at nearby Pinnacle Peak, and other amenities.
$50 gift certificate for Cartwright's, serving "all natural" meats. “We grill our steaks over a crackling mesquite wood fire, continuing the tradition of ranchers and cowboys."
$50 gift certificate for Tonto Bar & Grill at Ranch Manana. "Enjoy New American cuisine in our rustic ranch atmosphere with stunning views of the lush Sonoran Desert."
$50 gift certificate for Pinnacle Peak General Store restaurant.
$50 Best Buy Gift Cards. “The Perfect Gift,” redeemable for merchandise and services at any Best Buy retail location or online.
$25 AMC Entertainment Gift Cards. Redeemable at any AMC box office or concession register.

More Prizes!

In addition, all winners will receive:

Publication of submission in The Peak
Publication of submission on GPPA’s Web site
Recognition in GPPA's newsletter e-Peak Newsletter

About Photography Contest

What do you think is worth preserving in our community? Photograph it and send us the photograph. It’s that easy. Entries must be original photographs taken by the entrant in Scottsdale, Carefree, Cave Creek, Rio/Tonto Verde, or north Phoenix. The minimum photograph size is 4” x 6”. Entries must be submitted by July 31, 2007. The winners will be contacted by August 21, 2008, and their photographs will appear in the September/October issue of The Peak. The winning photographs will also be featured in e-Peak Newletter and posted on GPPA’s Web site.

About “Write Stuff Challenge”

Contestants are required to write an original 500- to 1,500-word, fiction or nonfiction story, essay, or poem about a local desert critter, such as a coyote, javelina, turkey vulture, rattlesnake, pack rat, tarantula, scorpion, cactus wren, etc. Entries must be submitted by July 31, 2008. The winners will be contacted by August 21, 2008, and the first-place entry will appear in the September/October issue of The Peak. The second and third fourth place winners will be published in subsequent issues of The Peak, in e-Peak Newsletter, and posted on GPPA’s Web site. Entries will be judged by The Peak’s editorial staff and industry professionals.

Summer Fun Contest Rules and Submission

Photo Contest Rules

Before you start clicking, carefully review the contest rules below.

The photograph must relate to the theme, “What’s Worth Preserving in Our Community.”
The picture must be taken in The Peak’s distribution area (North Scottsdale, Cave Creek, Carefree, north Phoenix, or Rio/Tonto Verde).
The photograph must be an original taken by the person submitting the photo.
Photographs will be judged on quality, composition, aesthetic content, and capturing the theme.
Up to three photographs can be submitted by an entrant. The minimum photo size is 4 x 6 inches.
The photograph must be received by the Greater Pinnacle Peak Association (GPPA) by midnight, July 31, 2008.
Winners will be contacted by August 19, 2008.
The style and tone of the photograph should be consistent with photographs that are published in The Peak magazine.
Contestants cannot be members of the GPPA Board of Directors, members of their families, or regular photographic contributors to The Peak. The decision of the judges is final.
GPPA and The Peak magazine reserve the right to edit and publish submissions in the magazine and GPPA’s Web site, www.gppaaz.org.
Winners will select their prize from the list of available Summer Fun Prizes for that division (Adult, Youth), i.e. 1st place winners select prizes first, 2nd place winners next, etc.

Photo Submission Guidelines

The name, address, e-mail address, and photograph title should accompany each photo. This information should be neatly printed by hand or computer.
Photographs can be sent via e-mail or mail.
E-mailed photographs should be attached to a message identifying the photograph. We prefer that photographs be sent as TIFF, EPS or Jpg files. Files larger than two megabytes should be submitted on CDs or a 3.5-inch computer disc formatted for IBM.
Photographs, CDs and other submission materials WILL NOT BE RETURNED UNLESS A PRE-ADDRESSED, STAMPED RETURN ENVELOPE IS INCLUDED is included as part of the submission.
Materials can be submitted by e-mail to thepeak@gppaaz.org or via mail addressed to GPPA Photo Contest, GPPA, 8711 E. Pinnacle Peak Road, #123, Scottsdale, AZ 85255
Editorial comment. If you're using a digital camera, be sure to save a high-resolution copy of the photograph (the resolution of the image when on the camera) for highest-quality publication in The Peak. Because of the layout of The Peak's cover, most of the photographs that we use for the cover are vertically-oriented but both vertically and horizontally-oriented photographs have been among the winners every year that we have held the contest.

Write Stuff Contest Rules

Contestants are required to write an original 500- to 1,500-word, fiction or nonfiction story, essay or poem about a local desert critter, such as a coyote, javelina, rattlesnake, pack rat, tarantula, scorpion, Harris hawk, etc. Entries must be submitted by July 31, 2008. The winners will be contacted by August 17, 2008, and the 1st place entry will appear in the September/October issue of The Peak and be published on GPPA’s Web site. Other winning entries will be published in subsequent issues, space available.

The article, essay or poem must be original material written by the person submitting the article.
The entry can be fiction or nonfiction.
The entry must be about a desert animal, bird, reptile, or insect that is native to this area.
The entry should have a title.
Entries will be judged based on creativity, originality, and writing skill. The style and tone of the entry should be consistent with material that is published in A Peek at the Peak magazine. Winners of previous contests are posted on our Web site.
The author must be age 13 or older.
Contestants cannot be members of the GPPA Board of Directors, members of their respective families, or regular contributors to The Peak. The decision of the judges is final.
GPPA and The Peak magazine reserve the right to edit and publish the submitted entry in the magazine and GPPA's Web site, www.gppaaz.org.
Winners will select from the list of available Summer Fun Prizes. 1st place winners select prizes first, 2nd place winners next, etc.

Write Stuff Submission Guidelines

The name, address, e-mail address, and phone number of the contestant should be written on the first page of the entry.
Entries can be sent via e-mail, mail, or fax.
E-mailed entries can be sent as attachments and be MS Word or WordPerfect files. The text of an entry can be pasted into the e-mail message.
Mailed and faxed entries should be neatly printed by hand or computer.
The inclusion of up to two photographs, illustrations, or graphics in the article is optional. If these items are included, the author may include a brief caption for each item. We prefer that these items be sent in TIF and EPS, or Jpg file formats. Jpg files, with very high resolution, can be submitted on CDs or a 3.5-inch computer disc formatted for IBM.
You can submit material by e-mail to thepeak@gppaaz.org or fax to (480) 585-1720. Materials can also be mailed to The Peak, 8711 E. Pinnacle Peak Road, #123, Scottsdale, AZ 85255.

For Additional Information

E-mail: thepeak@gppaaz.org (inquiries)
Telephone: (480) 361-6498 (The Peak)

e-Peak, May 2008 issue