Photos courtesy of Susanna Rinehart

Susanna Rinehart of Blacksburg won The Roanoke Times' mother-daughter look-alike contest with photos of herself and her mother, Sheila.

| Mary Hardbarger

mary.hardbarger@roanoke.com, 381-1679

Susanna Rinehart had entered only one big contest in her life.

In 2007, Patrick Day, a student at Blacksburg High School, was paralyzed because of a stroke in his spinal cord. Rinehart, along with local community members and Virginia Tech organizations, participated in "Play for Patrick," a contest that eventually awarded $20,000 to Day and his family.

This month, Rinehart will give back to another family after entering a second contest -- one that has truly earned her admiration in the New River Valley community.

In early May, The Roanoke Times began a mother-daughter look-alike contest in honor of Mother's Day, attracting participants from across the area.

Mothers and daughters entered their photographs online for voters to choose which pair they thought most resembled each other. Voters could vote once a day for a week beginning May 17. The first-place winners received a $1,000 Kroger gift card.

Rinehart's daughter, Chloe, had come across a picture of Rinehart's mother, Sheila, that sparked an interest in the contest. The photograph resembled Rinehart almost spot-on, yet the two weren't quite persuaded to take part.

"My mother died way too young of cancer," Rinehart said. "Chloe only met her once when she was just 3 months old but has always felt a connection with her."

Their outlook on the contest changed with a phone call May 16 -- the final day to enter the contest.

A fire struck the home of Myra and Jarrod Leland and their two sons, Jack and Henry. Although no one was injured, the inside of the Blacksburg house was heavily damaged, and, according to Rinehart, the family is still dealing with the layers of loss.

Myra had been Chloe's first-grade teacher at Blacksburg New School, and the family has become close to the Rineharts throughout the years.

"Myra was and still is an incredible teacher," Rinehart said. "She and Jarrod are dear human beings."

The night after the fire, Rinehart and Chloe entered the contest with the intent to pay tribute to Rinehart's mother and give the $1,000 gift card to the Lelands if they won.

Rinehart immediately notified her colleagues at Virginia Tech and faculty members at Blacksburg New School about the contest.

Word started to spread by what Rinehart described as "overlapping circles of connections."

"It was so amazing ... I was struck by the number of people getting involved," Rinehart said. "It really reflected the best of what people come to be about."

T.J. Stone, a teacher at Blacksburg New School, used all the resources she had to inform the public.

"I used our e-mail [list] of the students' parents to send out information," Stone said. "I knew that people were going to pay attention ... it was a no-brainer."

People from across the community pitched in to help the family.

"Parents provided lunches for the boys [Jack and Henry]," Stone said. "We wanted to make sure that the family had what they needed."

The contest concluded May 24, and Rinehart had accumulated approximately 1,100 votes -- enough to win the contest.

Rinehart soon placed a call to the Lelands, informing them they would be receiving the prize.

"Myra's only response to me after telling her the plan was, 'We love you,' " Rinehart said.

After weeks of living in a hotel, the Leland family will soon move into a new house with a $1,000 gift card and a renewed sense of community loyalty and friendship.

"It's moments like these that you see what communities are for," Rinehart said.

"This contest allowed us to give something we couldn't have otherwise given."