Friends of Newtown Seniors (FONS) with the support of the Newtown Senior Center and C.H. Booth Library is sponsoring a writing contest that will award four cash prizes of $50 each.

Newtown residents who are at least 55 years of age are invited to submit an essay to become part of a compilation and used for intergenerational discussions.

The 2020 pandemic has changed many things. The first word that springs to mind with the word pandemic or the abbreviation COVID is “loss.” The country has lost more than 500,000 individuals to this virus. Families, the town, state, country, and world have at times come to a standstill, and lives have been altered. FONS believes it is important to remember the events of 2020 and 2021, and wants to offer all seniors an opportunity to be part of the dialogue and opportunity to express thoughts, feelings, and reactions to the changes of the past year.

Eligible participants are asked to submit a piece of writing that responds to one or all the following questions: What have you learned from your experience? How has life changed because of experiences during 2020? How were you personally affected by the events of the past year related to the pandemic? How do you think the pandemic will affect your future? Your writing may be inspirational, thought provoking, describe a journey of self-discovery, or take some other approach to react to one or more of the prompts related to your experiences during the 2020 pandemic.

Deadline for entries is May 1, and prize winners will be notified by June 1. Details for this writing contest can be viewed at friendsofnewtownseniors.org or requested by e-mailing info@friendsofnewtownseniors.org. Rules and details of this contest are also available at the Newtown Senior Center and the Newtown Community Center, 8 Simpson Street.

FONS is planning to recognize the four pieces that judges feel best express what these events have meant to us all. The lead judge will be Kate Katcher Striano, local performer, writer, and producer. The judging team will be identified at a later date. All submissions will become part of a published collection of writings. You may offer yours to be published with your byline, anonymously, or with an appropriate pen name. We hope to have a broad spectrum of voices, and there are no restrictions on who may enter as long as they are 55+ and residents of Newtown.