Show Your St. Louis Love With a Group Hug

Got civic pride? You have one more week to prove it.

This coming Wednesday (May 23) is the last day to submit your picture to GroupHug St. Louis, a photo competition in appreciation of the people and places of the 314, 636 and 618 area codes.

"It's all about reminding ourselves of the everyday things that we take for granted -- the things that make St. Louis as a region special," says Jeff Vines, one of the organizers of the second annual GroupHug.

Last year the civic booster group, City Affair Saint Louis, received more than 244 submissions of people hugging animate and inanimate objects (from buildings and statutes to friends and dogs). And its GroupHug project made an impression far beyond our borders.

This month Cleveland, Detroit, Pittsburgh and Milwaukee are all participating in a similar photo competition inspired by GroupHug St. Louis.

So how to participate? Snap a photo of yourself "hugging" something you love in (or about) St. Louis and email it to [email protected] by 5 p.m. May 23.

City Affair will then showcase all submissions at its GroupHugs party on Saturday, May 26, at the Old North St. Louis Restoration Group Gallery (2700 N. 14th Street) from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., where a jury will vote on the best photos and hand out a $100 to the winner. More info on GroupHug's Tumbler and Facebook pages.