Citizen’s Kruszewski wins 8 VPC awards, earns state 'Sweepstakes' title

Henrico Citizen Managing Editor Patty Kruszewski won eight awards in the Virginia Professional Communicators 2021 communications contest, including four first-place entries that advanced to the National Federation of Press Women competition.

Kruszewski was also the top VPC winner in the state, earning her the 2021 'Sweepstakes' award.

Awards were announced at a virtual meeting March 26.

Kruszewski won a first-place award for her feature story, “Learning by Heart,” about a retired Henrico teacher who wrote a memoir of her growing-up years. Judges commented, “Wow. I feel like I know, feel for, and understand the subject. Hard to do in a few pages, and I feel it for sure."  (The teacher and author, Paulette Whitehurst, also won a VPC first place in the autobiography category for the book Kruszewski featured in her story, 'A Child Is a Poem You Learn by Heart.')

In the health specialty articles category, Kruszewski won another first-place award for her story about high school student Maya Mehigan and her efforts to help others cope with stress by creating a teen mental health website and a candle company. Judges called “Henrico teen makes candles for a cause” a "truly inspirational story of a teen making a positive difference during a difficult time.”

Kruszewski also won first-place honors in the specialty articles environmental category for her story about the eco-corridor and walking trail near University of Richmond, and a first place for a "heartwarming" story about the Henrico Pops Chorus in the specialty articles arts and entertainment category.

Kruszewski's second-place awards included another story in the health specialty articles category, about a group of walkers with L'Arche Metro Richmond who found comfort early in the pandemic by walking a labyrinth at Short Pump Park.  Her story “First Aid for Youth,” about a course open to community members and offered at Virginia Home for Boys and Girls, won a second place in the specialty articles social issues category.

In the same category, Kruszewski also won a third place for her story, “Thinking inside the box,” about the effort to design, build, and fill a free food pantry at Community West Church.  “Not only does the writer present a profile of how one act of kindness involved an entire neighborhood," said judges, "the description of how the pantry evolved may encourage other community members to reach out.”

“New community honors legacy of 'unstoppable' Britlyn,” a story paying tribute to the late Britlyn Weinstock, won Kruszewski a second place in the feature story category.

“What an inspiration and strong feeling," said judges. "Thanks for sharing a story that makes us all proud of human spirit despite all odds.”

Among Henrico writers who also garnered VPC awards were Sunni Brown, Cynthia Price and Joan Tupponce.  Along with their University of Richmond colleague Lindsey Grow, Brown and Price won a third place award in the category of social media presence with "@URNews2Use: Twitter Feed for Media Relations."

Tupponce collected a first place in the personality profiles category, as well as two second places, two third places, and an honorable mention for works in categories that included columns, feature stories, personality profiles, and specialty articles in arts and entertainment.