Destin man exudes ‘Hotness' in contest (with PHOTOS)
In a search for “Hotness” to benefit children’s education, one of our own Destin men made the cut: Jeff Hardwick.
Hardwick, 26, a pharmacist at Winn-Dixie, was minding his business keeping busy at work when a co-worker approached him and recommended he join the hotness search for the Northwest Florida Daily News’ and Helen Back’s “Who is the Hottest?” contest.
Honored at the recommendation, he threw his hat in the ring of the 2010 “Hotness” contest, which benefits Newspapers In Education.
While it cost $1 for each vote, Hardwick managed to rake in 215 votes, making him the third top vote getter among the boys.
If he won the grand prize of $500, he planned to give $100 of it to benefit the Newspapers in Education program and spend the rest on a surfboard. Instead, he will strike a pose for a professional photo shoot with a Daily News photographer.
To see the photo shoot, click here.
Originally from Montgomery, Ala., Hardwick moved to Destin as soon as he graduated from Auburn University.
“I just love the beach life,” he said.
To keep in shape he doesn’t really like traditional workout sessions but prefers to just stay active, “Kayaks, and doing stuff outside.”
He tries to eat healthy but loves the hot crab dip at the Crab Trap. When he doesn’t have time to grocery shop or go out to eat he could live off peanut butter, “crunchy — it’s a whole meal in itself.”
Lauren Goolsby, who works at AJ’s Seafood and Oyster Bar but lives in Navarre, was also among the winners. To see her photo shoot, click here.
THE PHOTO SHOOT
Nine of the winners from the 2010 Hotness Search bared the sun and their skin in Destin near the east jetty for their finalist photos.
View the galleries:
