FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Kathy Keleher, Winterfest, Inc.
954-767-0686, kathy@winterfestparade.com
Website: winterfestfoundation.org
FB: WinterfestFoundation
IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 28, 2023
The Winterfest Foundation Inspires 900+ Budding Artists with Fantasy Boat Student Art Contest
Fort Lauderdale, Broward County, FL- The Winterfest Foundation recently hosted a judging for the 2022-2023 Winterfest Foundation Fantasy Boat Student Art Contest. Over 930 students from 13 Broward County public, private, and charter schools participated. The children used their imagination to create drawings depicting the type of boat they dream of seeing in the annual Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade.
The artwork from kindergarten through 5th-grade students will be displayed at the Museum of Discovery & Science, followed by an awards program by children’s book author of “POMP, SNOW & CIRQUEumstance,” Neil Goldberg. Over $6,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded during the ceremony on Sunday, April 30, 2023, with Twenty-nine students to be recognized for their talent. The winning artwork will be framed, and a copy of the framed artwork will be given to their school courtesy of Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital.
First-place award winners in grade categories: K/1, 2/3, and 4/5 will also receive a laptop courtesy of Dania Pointe. Second, third, and honorable mention students will receive Visa gift cards.
Representatives from the Guy Harvey Foundation, Museum of Discovery & Science, and POMP, SNOW & CIRQUEumstance will give out special awards. All contest participants received a digital invitation to the Winterfest Foundation Student Art Exhibit and Award Ceremony to see their artwork on display and enjoy the Museum’s exhibits. Students, their immediate families, teachers, and other faculty members will receive free admission to the Museum with their RSVP.
This year’s judges were Gerald Angeli – Chairman of the Winterfest Foundation; Joseph Cox- President & CEO of the Museum of Discovery & Science; Betty Bergnes – Director of Education of the Guy Harvey Foundation, and Neil Goldberg, who chose one drawing as the inspiration for a new costume design to appear live in the POMP, SNOW & CIRQUEumstance show.
“The Museum of Discovery and Science is looking forward to hosting the Winterfest Foundation Student Art Contest Ceremony and Reception on April 30,” said Joseph P. Cox, President and CEO at MODS. “We celebrate the imaginative young minds that created renderings of fantasy boats for the festival’s annual student art expo held at MODS. Being a judge for the contest is a great challenge each year, as designs are clever and exciting.”
WINNERS AND PRIZES (on the Winterfest Foundation website):
GRADE CATEGORY K/1:
FIRST PLACE
CARTER LORISTON – Village Elementary School, Grade 1
Laptop to the student
$200 for the school
SECOND PLACE
VICTORIA IZQUIERDO – Embassy Creek Elementary School, Grade 1
$300 Visa Gift Card to the student
$200 for the school
THIRD PLACE
SALVADOR MALDONADO – McNab Elementary School, Grade 1
$200 Visa Gift Card to the student
$200 for the school
HONORABLE MENTIONS: $50 to each student
Embassy Elementary School:
MIA BANDKE, Grade 1
RYAN SEGAL, Grade 1
SOPHIA JOSEPH, Grade 1
MIA COHEN, Grade K
McNab Elementary School:
LANDON SPINKS, Grade 1
GRADE CATEGORY 2/3:
FIRST PLACE
ISADORAH JOSEPH – Village Elementary School, Grade 2
Laptop to the student
$200 for the school
SECOND PLACE
BRYN PROSPERE –Village Elementary School, Grade 3
$300 Visa Gift Card to the student
$200 for the school
THIRD PLACE
AVA ROSE BAKER – Village Elementary School, Grade 2
$200 Visa Gift Card to the student
$200 for the school
HONORABLE MENTIONS: $50 to each student
St. Bonaventure Catholic School:
ERIC MERZVINSKAS, Grade 3
Village Elementary School:
RICHARD FANCHONNA, JR., Grade 2
BELLA JOANAM, Grade 2
McNab Elementary School:
JADEN VALLE, Grade 3
Embassy Creek Elementary School:
JOHN SHEPPARD, Grade 2
GRADE CATEGORY 4/5:
FIRST PLACE
LARA RODRIQUEZ – Fox Trail Elementary, Grade 5
Laptop to the student
$200 for the school
SECOND PLACE
DOMINIC RODRIQUEZ – Flamingo Elementary School, Grade 4
$300 Visa Gift Card to the student
$200 for the school
THIRD PLACE
ADIFA FAWZIA – Tropical Elementary School, Grade 5
$200 Visa Gift Card to the student
$200 for the school
HONORABLE MENTIONS: $50 Visa Gift Card to each student
Village Elementary School:
RILEY YOUNG, Grade 5
NAILAH MARTINEZ, Grade 4
St. Bonaventure Catholic School:
ALESSIA FERNANDEZ-FIO, Grade 4
Bayview Elementary School:
HADLEY HAILE, Grade 5
Franklin Academy Cooper City School:
EMMA TELLO, Grade 5
SPECIAL AWARDS:
Museum of Discovery & Science:
JOSHUA SEGURA – Village Elementary School, Grade 3
Guy Harvey Foundation:
LILY GATTORNO – St. Bonaventure Catholic School, Grade K
VIVIAN CHACON – Embassy Creek Elementary, Grade 1
RICHARD FANCHONNA, JR. – Village Elementary School, Grade 2
JADEN VALLE – McNab Elementary School, Grade 3
SHELDON JEAN – Village Elementary School, Grade 4
LARA RODRIGUEZ – Fox Trail Elementary School, Grade 5
Guy Harvey Foundation winners will be receiving a blank 8×10 painting canvas, a watercolor set, Guy Harvey coloring book, stickers, pen along with a hat and bracelet from their partner 4Ocean.
“As someone who has grown up witnessing how art can be a pathway to appreciate the marine world and better understand our oceans and its inhabitants, it makes me very happy when I see kids getting excited about art and conservation from an early age,” said Guy Harvey Foundation CEO Jessica Harvey. “We are extremely proud to be a part of the Winterfest Foundation Fantasy Boat Student Art Contest as they continue to nurture young artists.”
POMP, SNOW & CIRQUEumstance New Costume Design for 2023:
ADRIAN VOLOVIK – Embassy Creek Elementary School, Grade 3
“Although art is subjective, I found talent and creativity in all student submissions,” noted Neil Goldberg, the award-winning book author, Broadway Director, Cirque Dreams founder, and judge for the contest.
“We are excited to bring last year’s costume design to life for this year’s reception at the Museum. Our designers recreated Caitlin’s drawing into a new costumed character, which will become part of the POMP, SNOW & CIRQUEumstance live show. Caitlin “Kiki” Donnelly, along with this year’s winner, Adrian Volovik, will receive complimentary tickets to see their costume characters come to life on stage when the new immersive show debuts this December at the iconic Fontainebleau Miami Beach.
We hope this opportunity inspires all children to realize their talent and potential and that sometimes dreams do come true.”
Embassy Creek Elementary School will receive $150 for the highest number of student submissions (473 students from grades K-5).
For more information on the Winterfest Student Art Contest or other events, contact the Winterfest office at 954-767-0686 or visit winterfestfoundation.org
ABOUT THE WINTERFEST FOUNDATION
Founded in 2017, The Winterfest Foundation (501(C)3) was created to support the South Florida community. The organization’s focus is education, arts and culture in public places, water safety, and assisting other charitable sectors. The Winterfest Foundation does this by providing resources, communication, and funds. The foundation encourages charitable organizations, schools, and the community to use the opportunities given by the Foundation to
- Encourage parent and public involvement in the public schools of Broward County.
- Develop relationships between educators and the general public with united efforts
- Support art projects in schools and Public Places in the community
- Assist Broward County non-profit organizations with the ability to communicate their mission to a larger audience
- Support organizations in their development of water safety awareness
For more information on Winterfest, please contact the office at (954) 767-0686 or their website: www.winterfestfoundation.org
ABOUT POMP, SNOW & CIRQUEUMSTANCE
POMP, SNOW & CIRQUEumstance™, by Neil Goldberg, is an exciting and magical holiday story of three best friends who study and learn special music, magic & circus skills at a secret university before sharing their talents with the world. Neil Goldberg is a mastermind of live entertainment revolutionizing the landscape for over three decades with highly imaginative entertainment experiences. He wrote POMP, SNOW & CIRQUEumstance after selling his Cirque Dreams company to Cirque du Soleil in 2019. Winner of 9 coveted book awards, the book officially became part of USO’s Bob Hope Legacy Reading Program and Libraries, has been produced into a 30-minute holiday TV special and recently featured on Good Morning America and Fox & Friends. Published by Brown Books Publishing Group, the book’s available in over 30,000 outlets. A second book in the series is due out in 2024. www.pompsnowandcirqueumstance.com @pompsnowcirque
ABOUT THE GUY HARVEY FOUNDATION
With a focused mission to better understand and conserve the ocean environment, the Guy Harvey Foundation (GHF) collaborates with local, national and international organizations to conduct scientific research and provides funding to affiliated researchers who share this objective. The GHF also develops and hosts cutting-edge educational programs that help educators to foster the next era of marine conservationists, ensuring that future generations can enjoy and benefit from a properly balanced ocean ecosystem. www.GuyHarveyFoundation.org.
ABOUT JOE DIMAGGIO CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
Established in 1992, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital combines advanced technology and the expertise of the largest, most diverse group of board-certified pediatric specialists in the region. To meet the growing needs of the community, the hospital expanded in 2011 and again in 2022. Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital now has 298 beds. In its first year of operation, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital’s medical staff included 90 physicians and patient admissions numbered 2,000. Through the years, the hospital has enhanced and expanded its services and programs to help meet the growing and diverse needs of the community. The hospital is staffed 24 hours a day by world-class pediatricians, pediatric specialists, specialty-trained nurses and ancillary support staff. Today, more than 650 physicians are on the medical staff.
ABOUT DANIA POINTE
Dania Pointe is a 102-acre premier South Florida open-air destination with nearly 1 million square feet of retail, entertainment, and restaurants complemented by a full-service Marriott and AC hotel, luxury apartments, and the soon-to-be global headquarters of Spirit Airlines. This new master planned open-air destination offers plentiful parking in an unbeatable South Florida location just two miles from Fort Lauderdale International Airport, four miles from Port Everglades, and six miles from Downtown Fort Lauderdale. Locals and tourists alike are welcome to celebrate all year on the Lawn, a meticulously manicured open area for relaxation and conversation under swaying palm trees with a variety of unique and exclusive experiences, events, and programs such as live music, Wellness Wednesdays, Cultural Saturdays, Family Sundays, Night Artisanal Markets, and so much more. Dania Pointe is owned and operated by Kimco Realty Corp. To learn more and explore Dania Pointe, visit www.DaniaPointe.com.
ABOUT THE MUSEUM OF DISCOVERY AND SCIENCE (MODS)
Founded in 1976 as the Discovery Center, today the Museum of Discovery and Science (MODS) is at the forefront of science education, innovation and exploration. MODS connects people to inspiring science. The Museum encompasses more than 150,000 square feet of interactive exhibits. This includes all of our permanent and traveling exhibits, as well as our outdoor Science Park. Families can enjoy super science shows and demonstrations, wild Creature Feature animal encounters, private experiences, mind-blowing Makerspace labs, cool camps, unforgettable birthday parties, engaging field trips and STEM curricula, professional development workshops for educators, distinguished speakers, and more. In addition to daily hours, MODS is currently offering virtual and offsite programming. MODS’ STEMobile delivers STEM education on location across South Florida! A STEMobile experience ranges from one-hour to full-day with programming for pre-kindergarten through adult and is available for schools, community centers, corporate team building and special events! All programs can be customized for time, group size and age group. Book a STEMobile visit today. Free programs and scholarships are available!
The Museum celebrates diversity and welcomes visitors from all walks of life. The Museum hours are Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. MODS is located downtown at 401 SW Second Street, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33312. For more information about the Museum, please visit mods.org or call 954.467.MODS (6637).
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