(Tucson, AZ, Feb 4, 2013) Long Realty is excited to announce the Second Annual “Why I Love Arizona” Photo Contest beginning February 4th, 2013. Photographers across the state are encouraged to support the Long Realty Cares Foundation by submitting photos and sharing why they love Arizona.

“This competition is a great way to support and celebrate the beauty of Arizona while encouraging positive community involvement,” says Rosey Koberlein, CEO of Long Companies. “A strong sense of community is important to Long Realty and we brought this contest back to continue an outlet for our neighbors to show their Arizona pride.”

This contest is open to everyone and the only requirement is that photographers should aim to capture a unique photo that encompasses Arizona’s magnificence. Photos can be submitted online from February 4 to February 22 and public online voting starts March 11. The winners will be announced in April 2013. The photo with the most votes in each category will win a prize from the category sponsor and the overall winner will receive a grand prize of $1,926.

Nearly 1,000 photos were submitted to the contest in 2011. Long Realty expects to surpass that number in 2013, as $1 will be donated to the Long Realty Cares Foundation for every photo that is submitted. Since the Long Realty Cares Foundation was created 10 years ago, the organization has raised more than 2 million dollars for over 170 Arizona charities.

The last competition saw more than 35,000 online votes cast throughout the contest. With 10 different categories, photographers of all skill levels have the opportunity to submit a winning photo.

This year’s media sponsors include KVOA, Clear Channel Radio and the Arizona Daily Star. Other sponsors include the University of Arizona, Cherry Landscaping, Cirrus Visual Communications, COX Communications, Horizon Moving Systems, Rancho Sahuarita and Truly Nolen.

For a full list of categories and contest details, visit www.whyilovearizona.com.