Russ Wilson Essay Contest

Russ Wilson was a close, personal friend of CCAR and Executive Director Phil Valentine. He was a father, a son, a brother, a friend, a proud man in recovery, and a true inspiration to so many. Unfortunately, Russ passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on June 28th, 2014 at the age of 55 years old.

To commemorate the loss of such a valued member of the recovery community, and to celebrate Russ’s passion for writing, CCAR sponsors an annual writing contest and rewards authors with a cash prize in his honor. Each year we assign a Contest Theme and judge submissions based on 4 categories: originality (25% percent), creativity (25% percent), use of language (25% percent), and appropriateness to contest theme (25% percent). A team of judges pick 3 winners, who are awarded a cash prize. More information on our 8th Annual Russ Wilson Essay Contest in 2024 will be available soon!

Congratulations to our 2023 winners! 

1st Place: Patty Wildasinn | 2nd Place: Ellen Zhang | 3rd Place: Calliese Connor

Russ Professional

Any questions? Email slucas@ccar.us

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