Read some of our contest entries!

Click Here to nominate someone important to you and tell us how they love to spend their summer. Or share a favorite summer memory with us.

Be sure to enter by August 15th. You could win one of these great prizes:

Growing up in a family of five children, my parents could never afford a fancy, beach vacation. So we have many wonderful memories of camping trips. My father, an engineer, was able to skillfully pack the family station wagon with a specially-designed car-top carrier that converted into a kitchen and wash-up area at the camp site. However, one infamous camping experience has become part of our family lore. We were camping in a secluded area along Lake Superior when a tremendous thunderstorm hit--high winds, lightning and pouring rain. We had two tents--the girls slept in one and the boys in the other. The girls' tent fell down first. As my parents were trying to rescue this screaming crew, the boys' tent started to blow away. While my Dad went to rescue the boys, my Mom ran to the "kitchen" to rescue the whiskey. As evidence, we have her holding up the girls tent pole in one hand and a bottle of whiskey in another! To this day, my Dad is proud to say that even with everything soaking wet, he was able to start a fire the next morning. So, I nominate my parents for being able to make the best of a summer vacation gone bad!!!

P. Campbell, Corning, NY

Going swimming with my dad , brother and sister in this lake when we were little on the weekends. Mainly we tried to find this little island.

A. Zemer, Oak Brook, IL

I nominate my parents,Ely & Patricia for giving my siblings and I summer upon summer of endless great memories.Of picnics,BBQ's,swimming,camping,museums,and never giving us a boring or unloving summer vacation :-) Love you Mom & Dad !

E. Lopes, Colorado Springs, CO

Too many to say.

K. Pumford, Mt. Pleasant, MI

My favorite memories are of summers spent at Memorial Park growing up in Vermont. Years of swimming lessons and returning as the life guard during college years. Still my favorite place during our summer trips back home. Now I get to enjoy sharing it with my son and husband!

J. Yankowsky, Fulton, NY

I nominate my 15 year old daughter Kelly, I'm a single mom and my daughter Kelly is amazing! She works so hard on her school work during the year. She is always smiling! She keeps me going! She is a Varsity Runner for the High School! She is going to be in 10th Grade in the Fall! She is on the phone at night tutoring other kids with Math. She thinks nothing of helping other kids with Math and on the phone for hours getting them to understand it. She has so much patience. She wants to be a Dentist when she grows up! She is so smart! She is so caring about what I am doing. I sometimes wonder who is the Adult!!! I am very proud of her!

K. DiMeo, Brea, CA

I am nominating my husband who loves to mow the yard with our vintage 1949 Ford tractor. He wears a farmers hat and velcro's a water bottle to the fender. Quite a change from his usual ride, an MV Augusta 910 Brutale motorcycle.

J. Smith, Mount Ulla, SC

Among my family's favorite Summer Memories are the years we would have the kids get off the bus, jump into the car and we'd head off to the Beach at Ocean City, Maryland for 2 weeks! Those Were The Days my friends!

T. Nichols, Syracuse, NY

I would like to nominate my husband. He is a one of a kind father- he likes spending time with not only our 3 kids but the young boys on our street who don't has a father at home. He works for a juvenille home downtown and the kids there look up to him. Sometimes he shows them tough love when he has to, but he is there when they need someone to talk to. It doesn't matter to him that they killed somebody, do drugs, etc... He looks at them as a child who needs somone to guide them the right way in life. We can be out as a family and he sees a child that was locked up at the juvenille facilty and they will approached him with a smile. Demetrius likes to spend his summer with the kids on the street playing ball, lifting weights with them in the garage, helping them get in shape and talking about the word of God with them, passing out bibles to the kids he meets...He is a wonderful role model. Thanks and God bless.

N. Williams, Detroit, MI

My favorite summer memory was rafting w/ all our kids and grandson & friends on the Colorado, fishing, cooking and camping out right on the river. I caught a wonderful fish to fry up for our cook out but then one of the guys noticed something I didn't, it was an endangered species fish and I had to throw it back so we didn't have fish for dinner. Good thing we packed plenty of steaks....Have fun times...

K. Wischnack, Hot Sulpher Springs, CO

My friend Drew. He is trying to be a real estate person. He works so unbelieveable hard. He has spent so much money on advertising. He is almost broke and no one is buying or selling houses. He is so good at what he does, very smart and so going. His son is eating him out of house and home. I see his refrigerator is so empty. He loves steaks! He lives in Lake Forest, CA. He belongs to Century 21 Superstars. I feel so bad. He loves selling houses especially in the Summer.

K. Dimeo, Brea, CA

Awww, The good life of my Summer consists of the times when I'd grab my Guitar and head for our Campsites Firepit and Play my Guitar for all the campers. The smell of the campfire on a cloudy clear Summer Night just makes me so happy!

M. Simons, Bay City, MI
My favorite Summer memory is of my late father teaching me to swim in the Atlantic Ocean at Gilgo Beach in Babylon Long Island,NY. We would laugh and swim over the waves and had just a wonderful time every summer, but the first time was the best!

C. Delgado, West Babylon, NY

I nominate my 7 yr. old Emma. She practiced everyday in spring to learn to ride a two-wheeler without her training wheels, and she did it! Now she wants to spend the summer riding her bike! I am so summer proud of her!

A. Babenco, High Bridge, NJ

My favorite summer memory would have to be the summer of 1968. It was my first trip away from home. I went to the Jersey shore with my best friend and her family. I had the best time of my life walking the boardwalk, riding the rides, and swimming in the bay. It was a lot of "firsts" for me and I will always cherish the memory.

M. Diehl, Susquehanna, PA

On hot sultry evenings I rush home to put on my bathing suit, grab the radio and go jump in the pool to relax and listen to some good ol' rock n roll.

S. Resor, Beaufort, NC

When I was growing up in Brownsville, Texas, our family moved into a home which included about a dozen fruit trees, but only one tangerine tree. To get away from my brother & sisters, I used to pass many hours during the summer lying in the branches of that single tree, daydreaming, picking & eating the deliciously-sweet tangerines, & chasing off the birds that would try to poke holes in the biggest, juiciest pieces of fruit.

S. Vera, Springvale, AR

My daughter Meredith loves to go to Oxbow Park in the summer. It is a nature preserve park on the Truckee River just a hop away from downtown Reno. You can splash in the cool Truckee, or watch the ducks (and rafters) float by, take a picnic, sit in the grass under tall cottonwood trees and just meditate, hug old trees, watch birds and butterflies. She even put some of her Grandmother's ashes there because she would enjoy the peaceful park.

J. Dandini, Reno, NV

My highschool was located right next to a lake and graduation day was hot and sunny. So after the ceremony and the pictures, we all raced down to the lake and jumped in, robes and all. Nothing says the start of summer like the end of school, and this was the best way to ring in what became a very memorable summer.

M. Duffy, Cazenovia, NY

My favorite summer memory was going up to our cottage on Seventh Lake in the Adirondacks as a kid and going fishing with my brother and Dad. It was so fun and relaxing to go out on the lake and just enjoy the summer.

B. Totman, Marcellus, NY

I'd like to nominate my sister, Nancy. She and her husband have a beautiful farm out in the country with a view to love. She insists on spending Summer days outdoors gardening, hiking the Fingerlakes Trail, playing with their two dogs and riding her horses.

K. McMahon, Syracuse, NY