Nov

28

Kids who make a difference

Filed Under Sunrise on KGMB9 

Thousands of Hawaii schoolchildren entered this year’s “Make a Difference” poster contest, and more than 100 schools were represented.

Some of the winners appeared Wednesday morning on “Sunrise” before heading to an award ceremony at the State Capitol, and we put some of the winning posters on TV.

Castle & Cooke sponsored the contest, which produced 6,866 entries from 101 schools, and funded cash prizes of $100 to $150 to the winners, and additional cash gifts to their chosen charities and to schools with the most participation.

Christopher Valdespino, a kindergarten student at Shafter Elementary, won the K-2 category. He’s the boy who stonewalled me in the interview!

Roxy Gonzalez, a fifth grader at Mililani Mauka Elementary, won the Grades 3-5 category. Her brother Ramil won last year, and this year he got an honorable mention.

Kiana Ringuette, a seventh grader at Kailua Intermediate, and Jan Takamatsu, a senior at Campbell High, won in their categories.

Students chose the Hawaii Children’s Cancer Foundation, the Hawaii Audubon Society, the St. John Apostle & Episcopal Church Angel Network, and Aloha United Way, as their designated charities.

Castle & Cooke publishes a calendar with the winning posters and several other worthy submissions, and distributes it to every full-time public school teacher in the state.

Full disclosure: when I was a child I won a poster contest sponsored by the Anne Arundel County, Md., public school system. I have no recollection of what the topic was or what I drew but I do remember there was a cash prize. I don’t remember spending it. Hmm… is my father still holding that dough for me?

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