900 amateur photographers entered annual contest
SUBMITTED NEWS RELEASE
(RENO, Nev.) – Judges gathered in October to take on the difficult task of selecting the winners of the 2010 Great Reno Balloon Race photo contest, sponsored by Reno.com. Nearly 900 amateur photos came from throughout the country, but the first-place winner, John Emerson, calls Sparks, Nev. home.
Emerson won a free balloon ride at the 2011 Great Reno Balloon Race and an official 2011 Balloon Race jacket for his photo, a display of hot-air balloons reflected in a pond at Rancho San Rafael Regional Park with a warm flood of sunlight shining through.
Second-place was awarded to Kenneth Parkhurst of El Dorado Hills, Calif. for his Mass Ascension photo, which captured the launch of the first balloon carrying the American flag as the National Anthem was sung in the background. Parkhurst will also receive an official 2011 Balloon Race jacket. The third-place winner, JeanMarie Dimmick of Reno, Nev., captured a fun image of her shoes in the air with balloons decorating the sky. Dimmick will be awarded $50 in Balloon Race souvenirs.
Honorable mentions include Barbara Muscutt of Reno; last year’s first place winner, Kam Merzlack of Jackson, Calif.; and Angie Allen of Reno.
Judges were Ingrid Drummer, vice president of the Great Reno Balloon Race Board of Trustees; Margie Enlow, who designed the 2010 official Balloon Race Program; Andrew Del Greco of KRNV News Channel 4; and Megg Mueller of Reno.com.
To view more photo contest entries, visit www.reno.com/balloonphoto. For more information on the event, or to become a sponsor of the 30th Anniversary Great Reno Balloon Race in 2011, call (775) 826-1181 or visit www.renoballoon.com.
Thanks to the continued support of generous sponsors, The Great Reno Balloon Race continues as a free event for its 29th year. This year’s major sponsors include: Wells Fargo Bank, Wilbur D. May Foundation, Silver Legacy Resort Casino, Peppermill Hotel Casino, Harrah’s Reno, City of Reno, Jack in the Box, Great Basin Internet Services, News Talk 780 KOH, Bonanza Casino, Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority. With a special thanks to our Founding Sponsors: Circus Circus, IGT, Sands Regency Casino Hotel, Muckel Anderson CPAs and the University of Nevada, Reno.
