Remembering Lauren Beyenhof

We're sad to announce that a talented and inspiring Associated Content Contributor, Lauren Beyenhof, has passed away from complications related to Cystic Fibrosis.

Lauren was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis at birth, and devoted much of her adult life to supporting, educating and empowering people living with the condition. Her spirit of advocacy lives on in the written work she published across the Web, including AC articles like "A Day in the Life of an Adult with Cystic Fibrosis" and "Four Secrets to Living Well With Cystic Fibrosis," and entries on her personal blog.

That same spirit also lives on in the work of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (www.cff.org), an organization dedicated to finding a cure and improving the quality of life for those who live with Cystic Fibrosis. If you'd like to donate to CFF in Lauren's memory, you can join Associated Content in contributing to Lauren's "Great Strides" campaign, which directly funds Cystic Fibrosis research and care. Click here to get involved.

We'd also like to thank AC Contributor S. Maven, who alerted us to Lauren's passing and published a tribute to her life and work earlier today. You can read S. Maven’s tribute to this inspiring woman here.

Lauren Beyenhof, 1980-2009

Best of AC Awards: Personal Finance, Politics and Sports

Associated Content is excited to announce the winners of the October 2009 Best of AC Awards - our monthly contest that rewards Contributors publishing extraordinary content in a wide range of topics. Be sure to stop by the winners' profiles to congratulate them!

The winners are...

Best of AC: Personal Finance - Elizabeth Valentine
Elizabeth Valentine joinied AC less than one year ago, and she's already built a strong and diverse library of nearly 250 pieces of content. She published nine Personal Finance guides in October -- each of them beautifully written and formatted, full of sharp financial advice informed by her academic background in business. If you're looking for the best tool to use for tracking your finances, check out her guide to The Best Personal Finance Software.

Best of AC: Politics - Mark Whittington
Mark Whittington has a keen eye for hot-button political issues -- inside the Beltway, in small town America and overseas. Whether or not you agree with his political views, it's clear that his frequent contributions to AC's Politics section provide analysis and opinion that go beyond the story. Check out his take on the results in this week's New York Congressional election -- and be sure to chime in with a comment.

Best of AC: Sports - Zac Wassink
Zac Wassink is a diehard sports fan and a passionate Category Editor for AC's Sports section. He's also one of AC's most prolific Sports Contributors, with more than 450 football, baseball, basketball, golf and wrestling articles under his belt (and close to 40 in October alone). Be sure to read this loyal Mets fan's letter to the New York Yankees, leading up to their recent World Series victory.

Congratulations to all three of these talented Contributors, and thanks to everyone who sent in nominations!

Looking ahead, the categories for the October 2009 Best of AC Awards are Fiction, Shopping Guides & Winter Holidays.

If you'd like to draw attention to content you're publishing in any of these fields, or if you know of any other worthy Contributors you'd like to nominate for these awards, please do so here.

Congrats to October's Rising Stars!

We'd like to congratulate the five talented, new Contributors who won Associated Content's October Rising Star Awards:

Sylvia Branch has a unique, indie spin in all of her content, from pin-up girl-inspired fashion reviews to raw food recipes and unique gift guides (check out her Best Stocking Stuffers for a Roller Derby Girl). She has also climbed to a Clout 6 with over 26,000 page views in her first two months on the site.

Chiropractic doctor and practicing Kinesiologist Nathan Schilaty, DC is a member of the Featured Health & Wellness Contributors program, and has built an impressive library of heath content since joining AC in July.

Brandon Miller was nominated by several other Contributors in the Forum for his fun, timely and helpful online gaming content. Check out his guides and tips for Farmville, Restaurant City and Mobsters 2 as well as his Southern California local content.

She may have joined AC in September, but Kyla Matton is already a mainstay in the AC Forum and a Contributor to watch with 60 pieces of content on everything from the H1N1 virus to delicious recipes. Check out her piece: H1N1 Vaccine Available in Canada Earlier Than Expected.

Rebecca Caroll's profile says that she's "passionate about life" and it's definitely reflected in her content, which spans topics from Christianity to the holidays to living with disabilities. Her overt interest in hers topics makes her content extra engaging, and she's already raked in close to 25,000 page views.

Congratulations to this month’s winners!

Page View Millionaires

If you’ve raked in more than 1,000,000 page views with the work you’ve published on Associated Content, you’ll notice a shiny new icon on your Contributor profile. Check out the new PV Millionaire badge:

If you’re not part of the “millionaire’s club” quite yet, be sure to spend some time on our Tutorials page to pick up some tips for AC success. We’ll be awarding new badges at the beginning of each month!