Albuquerque, NM – As we prepare to welcome hundreds of thousands of people to Albuquerque for Balloon Fiesta in a few weeks, the Albuquerque Convention and Visitors Bureau is about to recognize a tremendous ambassador for our city.

Over the past few months, the “My story is written in Albuquerque” campaign generated more than 100 heartfelt stories about our hometown. After reviewing the submissions, the pool was narrowed down to 10. This Friday, September 23rd, is the last day for the public to vote for their favorite storyteller to be named the Ultimate Albuquerque Ambassador AND win a free trip for two friends or family to visit them here in Albuquerque. So far, more than 1,080 votes have been received.

With our biggest opportunity to act as ambassadors taking place during Balloon Fiesta, we encourage all locals to think of themselves as the welcoming committee. The 10 finalists in the contest do this on a regular basis and they need your votes!

Stories and photos were submitted by Albuquerque residents to share their individual story, but many common themes arose – weather, sunsets, food and chiles, beautiful landscapes and great people. The 10 finalists captured these special features we all love about our city while making their entries unique to their individual experiences.

Now each finalist has a one in 10 chance of becoming the Ultimate Albuquerque Ambassador and winning a trip for two friends/family to come visit them here in Albuquerque. The voting takes place online at www.ItsATrip.org/myabqstorycontest.aspx.

Voting will take place online through this Friday, September 23rd at noon MDT. People can vote for as many entries as they would like, but only once per day. The winner will be announced by October 1st.

***Finalists are available for media interviews this week if you are interested.