WOW!

This really has been quite an experience! A couple months ago, I was entering contests to try and win a ticket to SteemFest myself, and there were so many people entering, wanting to go, and needing help to get there. I didn't win but made the CHOICE that I was going anyways.

Now I am doing my own ticket giveaway, as I truly feel SteemFest is the highlight of the year for Steemit! I know it's going to be awesome and so worth going, so I decided to give a ticket away to either inspire another to make the choice to go or to help support a truly deserving Steemian who will make SteemFest better!

If you read any of my posts on this ticket giveaway, you will see that my criteria was VERY clear and simple: I proclaimed that I would give the ticket to the contestant who is doing the most for the success of Steemit and who would bring something really valuable to SteemFest.

What I was not prepared for was how difficult this was going to be!

Wow, after the very first day seeing how many people entered and how many people wanted to go, it hit me - BAM! This is going to be a difficult decision!

But it didn't get any easier; it just got harder and harder. There truly were a lot of quality content creators and good people who entered who I would LOVE to see at SteemFest and that I hope GO ANYWAYS!

Yet I had to choose a winner.....So then I made a finalist post announcing the top 5 finalists who I felt were valuable content creators here on Steemit ALREADY and also who I felt would bring something special to SteemFest.

Then it really got intense. The post got (as of now) 767 views and 351 comments!! It was obvious that there were a lot of people who had something to say about who they felt deserved the free ticket.

Honestly, I was blown away by how many people showed up to vote and to share reasons or stories about the contestants.

It was apparent that I was not the only one who felt that the Steemain finalists were well liked, respected, and participating in a successful Steemit Community:

@inquiringtimes actually already won a ticket from @firepower! He's obviously very loved and supported, especially by a few true champions. It makes my decision a little less painful, because while he clearly deserves it, I now don't feel like I am denying a deserving Steemian or keeping the possibility of one attending SteemFest. (Also, a super thank you to @firepower for being so supportive of this community - he has already given away more tickets than I did and has helped Steemians and Steemit continue to progress!)
@acromott is relatively new to the platform, but he has been very successful & has genuine support on Steemit! He's already earned a high reputation in a short amount of time and is bringing popularity to the acro yoga scene. He had a lot of votes for the ticket giveaway and many who wanted to see him win!
@lifemovedbysteem made a video, which I really loved. Her entry & video honestly touched my heart! She is very genuine and wholesome, and she supports sustainability and loves her family which I deeply respect. She has shared so much already and I feel will only continue to share content of REAL value. I really hope to meet her and that she makes the CHOICE to come to SteemFest for the most creamy and delicious time of our life!
@luzcypher has hosted the Open Mic contest on Steemit for over a year, bringing together an international community and giving artists not only a creative outlet, but an opportunity to earn more through their music than they might be able to by sharing their passion in the material world.
@martibis is dedicated to Steemit & Steemfest enough to commit to hitchhiking all the way from Amsterdam to Lisbon! I have great respect for that, as I have hitchhiked extensively in my day and know it is both sustainable and cost effective, but also potentially uncomfortable, inconvenient, and dangerous, plus it takes a long ass time. I will be sure to support your journey to Lisbon should you CHOOSE to make it!

So in a way it is still hard for me and I have some inner conflict about it, but I do feel very clear and certain that the one with the most votes, stories, and testaments to their valuable contributions is also the one who I would agree has influenced my experience on Steemit and the success of the Steemit community the most of all the worthy contestants.

I have actually been expressing publicly for months here on Steemit that the Steemit Open Mic is one of the events/projects with the most potential to really develop adoption of Steemit's success,

So I award the FREE ticket to @luzcypher creator and host of Steemit Open Mic Night!

Thank you for all you have done for Steemit. I hope you contribute even a fraction to SteemFest that you have to Steemit and continue to fine tune your role in this international community with revolutionary potential!

To me it's not as much WHO wins, but even more importantly WHY they win, and here's why I chose @luzcypher for the FREE ticket!

I believe the Open Mic is one of the most valuable and profound projects going on Steemit. I have written about it, made videos about it, and also participated in the Steemit Open Mic since The very FIRST OpenMic over a year ago.

So now I get to express it again:

Music transcends language barriers. It is a form of communication, expression, and love that is a language of itself.

Music is thus a fantastic bridge; it is something that connects and brings the international community together, and Steemit is truly on the global stage now. There are successful accounts and communities from countries all over the world! Despite language barriers, music & the Open Mic contest provides a way for everyone to come together here on Steemit!

I have seen so many people start using Steemit because of Open Mic, start making friends, connections, and finding their "place" here in this vast community. I have seen talented musicians get nice payouts that probably are more than most of the "gigs" they have played in their life! We all know how many struggling musicians there are out there and how many musicians there are who work full times jobs and don't even make anything for their love or passion for music, it just stays a hobby.

So not only can the music scene here on Steemit draw users in, but those musicians have followers or fans who will also come here. It is also a scene that can help support talented musicians to make a life BEING a musician!

I love music and have entered the Open Mic many times, more so to support the music scene and bring exposure to it than to win. I have been making it a point to let that be known for quite some time, and now I have the chance to pay it forward and give a FREE ticket to someone who has not only facilitated Steemit's overall success but my own self included.

I love so much about Steemit, and music is not my main focus - not even close, really - but I love music, I love Open Mic, and I feel that the music scene will greatly contribute to Steemit's continued success!

So congratulations @luzcypher, and thank you for ALL you do for this entire community!

I hope the other entrants will still attend Steemfest, and that other Steemians might consider throwing them some upvotes to help support their journey there!

For anyone not going this year I will make it a point to share the creamy deliciousness of SteemFest and start preparing for SteemFest2!

As always I appreciate your support and welcome your feedback!

After 2 Weeks, Hundreds of Comments and Votes, The Winner of My SteemFest2 Ticket Giveaway IS...........