A woman from Phoenixville won the first design contest for the Schuylkill River of the Year logo.
Laura Mikowychok-Smith won $250 and recognition on the Schuylkill River and National and State Heritage Area website, www.schuylkillriver.org.
The theme for the logo is Schuylkill River, Pennsylvania's 2014 River of the Year. The river received the designation in the beginning of January after receiving 43 percent of the 5,527 ballots cast for the honor. This is the second time the river received the designation, having done so previously in 1999.
Mikowychok-Smith's winning entry will be used by the Schuylkill River Heritage Area and other affiliated partners on T-shirts for programs such as the Schuylkill River Sojourn. All rights for the design will be held by the Heritage Area and the Schuylkill River Greenway Association, which manages the heritage area.
Mikowychok-Smith said in an email that she entered the contest because her family spent time in the outdoors and cared for the park systems.
"We have kayaked and fished and camped all over the state and on the Schuylkill. So when the Schuylkill River National & State Heritage Area announced their contest, I thought it would be a privilege to design for an organization that helps families connect, get active and appreciate nature," she said.
In all, 35 logos from residents throughout the heritage area were received, Laura Catalano, spokeswoman for the Schuylkill River Heritage Area, said Wednesday.
Mikowychok-Smith is a marketing manager and designer in Phoenixville, according to her biography provided by Catalano.
"Laura and her family have enjoyed paddling the Schuylkill River for many years, and time spent with her father learning to kayak was an inspiration for the figures in this design," Catalano said.
"Memories of kayaking with my father inspired the design. I hope that the Philadelphia skyline and the boating figures conjure up similar memories in other locals who have spent time on the river with their friends and family," Mikowychok-Smith said.
The heritage area borders the Schuylkill River watershed in five counties: Schuylkill, Berks, Chester, Montgomery and Philadelphia.
Entries were judged by six staff members of the Schuylkill River Heritage Area.
"It was not an easy decision for our judges by any means," Catalano said. "We were really happy with the quality of them (the logos)."
Catalano said the logo contest could be held again if the Schuylkill River is selected as River of the Year in the future.
In related news, the 16th Schuylkill River Sojourn is June 7-13.
Registration for the full trip has recently opened. Those who wish to participate in day trips can register starting April 15.
To date, 50 people have signed up for the full trip, Catalano said.
The sojourn is a 112-mile trip that starts at The Island in Schuylkill Haven and ends at Philadelphia's Boathouse Row.
For more information, visit www.schuylkillriver.org.