WADDINGTON – Despite coming in second place in the “Ultimate Fishing Town USA” contest, Waddington Chamber of Commerce President Alicia Murphy said the community has put itself on the map throughout the North Country as a great fishing destination.

The countywide push to make Waddington the winner of $25,000 and a dedicated TV spot on the World Fishing Network has given residents the momentum to keep moving forward with community promotion, Murphy said in a letter to the editor.

“The fantastic press that Waddington has received over the last eight weeks is worth much more than a $25,000 could ever purchase,” she writes. “We are on the map, and our name is synonymous with fishing all over the country. And what's more, this contest has truly brought our region together, united in one common purpose, which, in my opinion, is priceless.”

The full letter runs below:

To the Editor:

The results of WFN's "Ultimate Fishing Town USA" contest are official.

The winner, with 267,432 votes, is Roscoe, NY.

Waddington placed an extremely close second, with 265,984 votes, a difference of only 1,448 votes. The Waddington Chamber of Commerce congratulates Roscoe on its victory.

That said, Waddington should be very proud of its achievement!

The fantastic press that Waddington has received over the last eight weeks is worth much more than a $25,000 could ever purchase!

We are on the map, and our name is synonymous with fishing all over the country. And what's more, this contest has truly brought our region together, united in one common purpose, which, in my opinion, is priceless.

I would like to take a moment to thank everyone who helped to make this contest a success for Waddington.

There are truly too many people to thank by name, so I'll just generalize.

Thanks to the proxy voter, who voted his/her shift faithfully each day.

Thanks to the St. Lawrence County Chamber and to FISHCAP for an incredible network of support.

Thanks to the media who have been writing, recording, filming, and promoting the contest for weeks.

Thanks to the municipalities and elected officials who endorsed us and passed resolutions of support for Waddington.

Thanks to the business owners who urged his/her employees to vote each day at work.

Thanks to the supporters who have passed out flyers and volunteered their time for various acts of support.

Thanks to the men and women who collected their friends' and families' names and stayed up late to vote with them.

And thanks to YOU for your support.

This contest has made it a very busy spring for the Waddington Chamber of Commerce.

It has been my humble honor to do my best to coordinate this effort.

Now that the contest is behind us, let's take this positive energy and the wonderful momentum and turn it into even more great successes for Waddington!

Alicia Murphy

Director

Waddington Chamber of Commerce