Dr. Kesho Scott speaks in Washington's Central Park about racial injustice.

Washington has officially made its final pitch to the judges for the #IowansUnite contest submitting a letter outlining their community spirit. Washington made it through the preliminary round of the competition by receiving double the votes they needed on their video submission.

Washington is now competing against twelve other cities, with the winner receiving a downtown mural by Iowa-based artist Ben Schuh. Sarah Grunewaldt, the executive director for Main Street Washington, explains the challenge of encapsulating community pride in a letter compared to a video.

“That has been a challenge because there are multiple ways to do it. Do we describe the senses of Washington, like the sound of the park fountain and the smell of popcorn at the movie theater, which are easily recognizable? Or do we highlight people’s experiences here in Washington who have grown to love the community since moving here? The essays are scored on passion and creativity, passion, and authenticity, and I don’t know what’s more authentic than someone’s personal experience.”

The grand prize winner is the entrant whose assignment and video received the highest combined score from an independent panel of judges. No date has been announced for the announcement of the results.