Laurie Lind from New Hampshire Wins 2013 Island Treasure Map Photo Contest

 

Happy Frog won the this year’s Island Treasure Map photo contest, getting Laurie Lind a trip back to St. John.

A photograph of a little frog paid off in a big way for Laurie Lind last week.

Lind captured the photograph of a smiling frog in Coral Bay while vacationing on St. John this past year and the image captured the judge’s hearts, winning  Lind of Seabrook, New Hampshire, a return trip to St. John.

Lind is the 2013 winner of Island Treasure Map’s annual Win a Trip Back contest. Island Treasure Map owners Jennifer Knowles and Denise Barbier launched the wildly popular contest several years ago and have watched as the contest continues to grow.

For snapping the photo of the frog, Lind won a week’s stay with St. John Ultimate Villas, airfare for two, $500 in provisioning at Food Center on St. Thomas and a zipline adventure for two with Tree Limin’ Extreme.

Lind’s image was voted by the public, via Island Treasure Map’s Facebook page, as the best of one of 10 different categories during the course of the year. In early December, the photo with the most votes in each of the 10 categories become finalists. Lind became the Grand Prize winner after being chosen by a jury of three professional St. John photographers.

“That encounter with Happy Frog made my day on that trip,” said Lind. “Now to win the contest with his photo makes that encounter even more of a gift.”

All 10 finalists also received a $30 gift certificate to St. John Spice. Knowles and Barbier will kick off their 2014 contest soon which, for the first time, will feature all voting via Facebook.

The Island Treasure Map crew thanked all contestants and sponsors of the annual Win a Trip Back Contest, explained Knowles.

“We want to send big thanks to our sponsors, contestants, and everyone who voted,” she said. “To those of you who didn’t win, well this just gives you a worthy goal for next year. We truly appreciate every single contestant and hope to see your photos entered in 2014.”

For more information about Island Treasure Maps, check out www.islandtreasuremaps.com.