'Our Children's Fund' Holds Pin Design Contest To Benefit Children In Need
WEST BLOOMFIELD (WWJ) -- Our Children's Fund, a non-profit partnering with the West Bloomfield School District, is gearing up to hold its 17th annual snowman pin contest.
Children from kindergarten to 8th grade are asked to draw a snowman design which officials will sort and vote on to decide which winner will be printed on pins. The pins will be sold at West Bloomfield schools to benefit the district's "Holiday Help" campaign.
Debbie Singer, co-chair of Our Children's Fund, is on the committee which will pick one winner and up to 14 honorable mentions. Singer said that the organization received an upward of 500 entries this year.
"We take an entire conference room and we fill all of the tables with these snowman pictures, it's just amazing," Singer said. "It's all blind balloting, so you don't get to see the name of the child, you have no idea what grade they're in, you don't know whether they're boy or girl."
Our Children's Fund helps children in need who are in the West Bloomfield School District. Along with getting their image featured on the pins, the winner is given a gift certificate.
Abigail David, a 5th grade student at Scotch Elementary School, is this year's winner. David's was excited to hear that her design would be featured on the pins.
"I was really happy and I was excited," David said. "I was just speechless when I heard the announcement at my school. I'm happy that it goes to charity for kids who don't have as much as we do for Christmas, it makes me really proud."
"The thing that we take into account is that the winning picture is concise enough and not over-detailed so that it's going to a one-inch by one-and-a-half-inch pin," Singer said. "It also has to get our theme across -- so it's got to have some kind of a snowman in it."
The organization aims to sell 500 pins for $10 a piece which can be bought at any of the participating schools.
"This year, we have served 194 students from every school in the district," Singer said. "The families enjoy it and we're happy to bring joy to their holiday season."