Who Is 'Doing the Most Good' in Your Community?

OPEN FOR ONE MORE WEEK: We're leaving the nomination period open for an additional week. Watch for our finalists Oct. 23! Read below for more details.

Do you know a crossing guard who has been walking youngsters across the street for decades? Or a volunteer who has taught reading skills to dozens of adults? Maybe you know someone who has spent hundreds of dollars to provide goods or services to the needy, or a someone who has spent thousands of hours in service to the poor, injured, grieving or sick?

As the holidays approach, Patch and the Salvation Army Midland Division are teaming up to recognize some of the people who are "Doing the Most Good" in the St. Louis area.

With your help, we'll name the person who is "Doing the Most Good" and award him or her with an overnight stay at the Moonrise Hotel in the Loop, a $50 gift card toward a dinner and two tickets to a show at a St. Louis-area venue.

For the next seven days, we're asking you to nominate a friend, neighbor, co-worker or colleague you believe is "Doing the Most Good" in your community. Here's how you can share your nomination:

• Post a message in the comments below. Describe your nominee. Give us his or her name and why you think he or she is "Doing the Most Good." Remember to tell us where!
• Click the "Upload Photos and Video" button on this article. Share a photo of nominees doing what they do, or upload a video showing what they do in the community. In the caption, remember to tell us the person's name and which community he or she serves.

On Oct. 22, we'll move to the next round and give readers a chance to see and read more about some of your nominees. At the end of October, we'll profile our finalists and give you the chance to vote on the person you believe is Doing the Most Good.

Patch and the Salvation Army will recognize your winner with their prizes at the Salvation Army's annual Turkey Tweet-Up on Nov. 15.

Patch has always been motivated by helping people find the connections in and around their community, and helping people see how they can contribute. Meanwhile, you may recognize "Doing the Most Good" as a core slogan of the Salvation Army: "It is a promise the organization makes to its contributors, clients, associates, officers and employees. The Salvation Army pledges to do the most good with contributions of money, time and resources."

Now, for the stuff our lawyers want you to know:

• Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia who are 18 and older.
• To enter, submit nominees like we asked earlier. Later, you'll get a chance to vote.
• All nominations must be received by noon St. Louis time on Oct. 15.
• You may nominate as many people as you'd like!
• One winner will be selected by readers.
• The prize includes a one-night stay at the Moonrise Hotel, valued at $100; a $50 gift card toward dinner at the restaurant of your choice; and two tickets for a show, approximate $100. Transportation is NOT included in the prize and will be the responsibility of the winner.
• See the attached PDF for the official rules.