Americana Furniture Announces "Why Apple Pie Makes Me So Happy" Essay Contests

To celebrate the recent opening of their newly-created Design Center and expert design services for their customers, Americana Furniture in Waterford, Connecticut has announced two essay contests. “Why Apple Pie Makes Me So Happy” is the theme of one contest for children ages 3 to 17, and one for adults ages 18 and older who are Connecticut residents. The 300-word essays must be submitted to Americana Furniture by midnight October 16, 2015. Winners will be announced during the company’s “Americana Applefest & Veteran’s Day Celebration” on Saturday, November 7, 2015 12:00 noon to 4:00 p.m. featuring live music by Still Pickin’ country-western and bluegrass band, magicians, children’s puppet shows and contests, face-painting, free apple pie, hot and cold apple cider, apple cider donuts, popcorn, raffle prizes throughout the day, and a 10% discount on all in-store purchases.

“Americana Furniture has been in southeastern Connecticut since 1922,” stated Lori Friedlander, Americana Furniture Sales Manager and director of the store’s newly-introduced Design Center. “For more than nine decades, this continuously-family-owned business is offering these Essay Contests to celebrate the recent opening of our new Design Center and the success of our in-store Apple Pie Café. In addition to offering a comfortable, quiet location where customers can relax and discuss their design options, we’re delighted to see that the Apple Pie Café has become a favored gathering place for local area community groups, business associations, family members and friends.”

Two winners will be selected for the kids’ essay contest who will win new bicycles. Two adult contest winners will receive a $250 Gift Certificate toward any furnishing or accessory item from Americana Furniture. All winners will be announced between 1:00 and 1:30 p.m. during the “Americana Applefest & Veteran’s Day Celebration” on November 7. Winners not need to be present to accept their prizes, but must agree to participate in post-Celebration publicity and social media campaigns across Connecticut when they visit the Americana Furniture store in Waterford to personally receive their prizes at a future date in 2015.

Established in Waterford in 1922, Americana Furniture at 35 Great Neck Road has been a favorite furniture shopping destination for more than 90 years. The business began when cousins Hilbert and William Hendel began peddling their portable house ware products on foot throughout the New London, Groton and Mystic area. Six years later they opened Hendel’s Furniture in downtown New London. Their business prospered and in 1949 the cousins purchased several acres of land in Waterford on which stood a red dairy barn. Today the icon location, without the dairy cows, complete with the barn and silo continues as home to Americana Furniture.

“This retail store was founded on the principal of ‘no sales pressure’, stated Jon Hendel, current president and grandson/great-nephew to the Hendel cousins. “Our legendary store offers a relaxed, comfortable, welcoming atmosphere for shoppers to wander through rooms filled with inspiring ideas for all furniture styles for every room in a house. This heralded business is the only family-operated furniture store in the region for more than 90-years. We are also the only store to also offer complementary design services to all our customers, plus furniture that fits every budget offered in our showroom and our ‘purchase and carry’ warehouse. Our newly-launched Design Center offers highly-individualized service for our discerning customers. Every day, our experienced staff strives to provide every customer with a depth of knowledge and expertise that assures them they can be confident with their furniture purchases. We are proud today to continue the family tradition of good value, fair pricing, and personal service.”

As part of the launch of the store’s new Design Center, between 1:00 and 1:30 p.m. on November 7, Friedlander will announce a “Veteran’s Room Makeover” that the store will donate to a Waterford-area U.S. Veteran and his or her family in conjunction with Veteran’s Day. “We’ve been working with the non-profit organization Make-A-Home-Foundation,” explained Friedlander, “to identify a local area Veteran for whom we will re-design one or two rooms in their home using primarily furniture made in America. On November 7th we will publicly introduce the Veteran family and our ‘Room Re-Design’ will be revealed in time for the upcoming holiday season.”

To enter the “Why Apple Pie Makes Me So Happy” contests, submit a maximum 300-word essay along with name, home address and phone number/email address of each essay writer. Either U.S. Mail the essays to the attention of: Apple Pie Kids’ Contest or Apple Pie Adults’ Contest, Americana Furniture, 35 Great Neck Road, Waterford, CT 06385, or email to contest@americanafurniture.net.

All U.S. Mail essay entries must be postmarked by October 16, 2015, and all applicants must agree to participate in essay-related award publicity and social media campaigns across Connecticut. Winners need not be present to receive their prizes on Saturday, November 7 during the “Americana Applefest & Veteran’s Day Celebration” but will be asked to come to the store at a future date for a brief award ceremony and post-presentation publicity campaigns.

For more information on Americana Furniture, visit www.americanafurniture.net, or call 860-442-8587. Americana Furniture is open Mondays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.