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3 Lucky Bethel High Grads Have The 'Write' Stuff, Win Cars In Essay Contest

BETHEL, Conn. – During his commencement speech at the 2017 Bethel High School graduation, Todd Ingersoll of Ingersoll Auto of Danbury laid down a challenge to the students: prove why you are uniquely deserving of a new car, and I will give it to you.

Todd Ingersoll of Ingersoll Auto of Danbury delivers three cars to Bethel High School graduates who proved why they were uniquely deserving of new cars.

Photo Credit: Ingersoll Auto of Danbury

Ingersoll asked the students to submit a two-page essay explaining why they deserved a new car. And in the end, he said Ingersoll Auto received so many amazing essays, they couldn’t pick just one. So they decided to give cars to three students.

The grand prize winner got a brand new car, while the two runners-up got certified pre-owned cars. Ingersoll delivered the cars to the three students’ houses last week, broadcasting it in a half-hour Facebook Live video.

“It really present our team and myself with a challenge, because you’re reading these things and it really tugs at your heartstrings, some of these stories,” Ingersoll said in the video.

The first car went to Nadya Redmond, who won a light blue certified pre-owned Chevrolet Cruze. Guided by a police escort, Ingersoll and his team delivered the car to her house while she and her family was in New York.

Ingersoll said that Redmond shared the inspiring story of her life. Her parents had three children of their own, and then adopted five more, including Nadya, who came from Russia. Ingersoll said that her story really touched everyone who read it.

The second winner, Sophie Morten, gave Ingersoll a hug as he delivered a black Chevrolet Cruze to her home. Ingersoll said she wrote a beautiful essay describing her life experiences, losing her dad and her mom raising her and her siblings.

“I literally can’t believe it. This is amazing,” Morten said when the car arrived at her home.

The winner of a brand new Chevrolet was Christopher Joyce. Ingersoll said that he was impressed that Joyce wrote about a topic many teenagers wouldn’t: his faith. He said Joyce detailed how his faith has inspired him to spend his time volunteering and giving back to others and making a difference in other people’s lives. Ingersoll said this attitude made him uniquely deserving of the new car.

“I think he is going to do extraordinary things. He took extraordinary chances when he wrote about the things he did, he completely got what it was we were trying to do, and it was just so well done.”

Joyce was speechless as he checked out his brand new car, sitting in the driver’s seat and adjusting it to fit his long legs.

“I really don’t know what to say right now,” he said. “Thank you so much.”

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