Describe how New York State played a role in how you met and fell in love with your significant other (wife, husband, boyfriend, girlfriend…). Unusual, funny, and weird stories of romantic encounters in New York State are encouraged!
Please submit a short video (under 5 min) or a brief essay with photos.
The 5 chosen stories will be featured online and incorporated into a short film promoting I LOVE NEW YORK.
Email submissions to nylovestories@gmail.com.
All submissions due April 1, 2010
A Personal Story from an I LOVE NEW YORK Staffer
Back in August of 1980, I was planning to ask my girlfriend the "big question."
But it was going to be hard to top her brother, who had proposed to his wife-to-be by putting an engagement ring inside an empty walnut shell at the top of an ice cream dish. She thought the move was so romantic! (I thought it should've seemed a little suspicious that an entire walnut would be atop a dish of ice cream.) Anyway, I was working in the city and got the idea to rent out the large screen on the side of the Allied Chemical Building in Times Square. Back then there was only one screen – not like today – and it only cost $35 per minute. On the big day, I convinced her to leave her place in Massapequa to meet with a few friends and see A Chorus Line on Broadway. I got her to Times Square just in time, and there was the sign with its animated beating hearts and the proposal message. At first, she didn’t make the connection. I said, "Well?" She was so caught off guard she simply said "I’d like an Orange Julius." I bought her the drink from a vendor and the rest was history. She said yes as the curtain was rising in the theater, and 29 years later, with three kids, a dog and a mortgage, we are happily sharing our lives in Albany, NY
Rules
1) Employees and their immediate families of the New York State Department of Economic Development, Urban Development Corporation D/B/A Empire State Development Corporation are not eligible to enter such contest. Immediate family shall be defined as spouse and children.
2) Entrants must be 18 years of age or older to participate.
3) Entry in the contest shall terminate at 11:59 pm on April 1, 2010. Entries received after this time frame will be disqualified.
4) Five Winning stories will be chosen by a group of panelists associated with NYU’s Promotion Pictures (A Tisch Graduate Film and Stern School of Business partnership). These winning stories may be featured on iloveny.com, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other public mediums, and will be incorporated into a short film promoting I LOVE NEW YORK that may be used in any of the program’s marketing efforts throughout the aforementioned sites and other public mediums.
5) Participants give the New York State Department of Economic Development’s ILNY Program and NYU’S Promotion Pictures the right to use their story, likeness, and image to be featured in the ILNY campaign and other promotional materials.
6) Participants must be willing to participate in further interviews and potential filming to fulfill requirements for the promotional short film.
7) Neither the New York State Department of Economic Development, NYU’s Promotions Pictures nor their agents are responsible for late, lost, or misdirected entries or for miscommunications, misdirected transmissions, or other errors of any kind whether human, mechanical or electronic.
8) In its involvement with this contest, the New York State Department of Economic Development does not in any way endorse, promote, support, or affiliate itself in any capacity with the participants in or stories submitted to this contest.
9) This contest is void wherever restricted or prohibited by state or local laws.
10) By entering, participants release and hold harmless the Department of Economic Development, and agencies employed by the Department, NYU’s Promotions Pictures as well as any directors, officers or employees of these organizations from any and all liability for any injuries, loss or damage of any kind arising from or in connection with the contest.
11) If for any reason the contest is not capable of being conducted as planned, including any causes beyond the control of the administrators of the contest, NYU’s Promotions Pictures reserves the right, after consultation with the New York State Department of Economic development, to cancel, modify, suspend or terminate the contest without notice to the entrants.
12) Entry into the contest does not create any vested right or interest for the participants in the prize offered for the contest.