The Washington Chamber of Commerce has announced that Washington has been selected as the statewide contest winner for the 2022 #IowansUnite CommUNITY Contest. The process started with a video highlighting all the noteworthy things about Washington, with the video receiving over twice the number of votes needed to advance to the next round. The second phase of the contest was to submit a one-page essay on how Washington supports local businesses and how Washington showcases community pride.
The Washington Chamber of Commerce received multiple essay submissions but ultimately selected the essay of Isabella Santoro. She also had a role in producing the video submission with her uncle Randy Williams. In her winning essay, Santoro notes that even though she had grown up in Florence, Italy, and spent time in cities like Madrid, Spain, and New York City, Washington, Iowa, was the only place she felt seen.
The next part of this contest will be working with Iowa-based artist Ben Schuh to help design a 1,500 sq ft mural for downtown Washington. A location for the mural has not been set; for more information about the #IowansUnite CommUNITY Contest, contact the Washington Chamber of Commerce.
Below is a link to Isabella Santoro’s winning essay submission.