Washington STEM Student Wins National Culver’s Calendar Coloring Contest


Washington STEM Academy fifth-grader Keely Roe won a national contest sponsored by corporate Culver’s.
Roe, 10, Warsaw, was one of 23 children ages 3 to 12 from across the United States whose art was selected to be in Culver’s corporate Thank You Farmers Calendar for 2016.
There were 1,500 entries submitted from the United States and 23 entries were chosen for the calendar. On some pages of the calendar, more than one coloring page is displayed. Culver’s Warsaw received 150 entries and chose 15 to send to corporate.
Art competition participants chose from 12 different coloring pages that feature Culver’s mascot Scoopie helping out around the farm. The contest teaches children about where their food comes from.
Nick Knouff, Culver’s general manager, said coloring sheets were made available to the community in July.
“She did a great job adding things in  and it is a very impressive picture,” Knouff said.
Roe’s grandmother, Geri Vallotton, took her granddaughter to eat at Culver’s in July and Keely picked out a coloring page.
“A couple days later I returned the page,” Keely said. 
This year marks the second year that customers had the opportunity to submit coloring pages for a chance to have them featured in the calendar.
Keely’s mom, Lori, said she received a phone call from Culver’s corporate that her daughter was one of 23 kids who were chosen to have their artwork displayed in the 2016 Culver’s calendar.
Keely drew and colored pumpkins, corn and tomatoes for her artwork as well as a scarecrow.
“I was really excited and had forget to tell my parents I had entered the contest. I thought about things we grew in Indiana like corn and knew it would be fall soon so I drew pumpkins,” Keely said.
Keely’s artwork is on the July page. July 18 marks Culver’s 32nd anniversary.
Warsaw Culver’s is celebrating its fifth anniversary this month.
Culver’s gave Roe a year’s supply of coupons for free concrete mixers.
Lori and Terry said they are proud of their daughter.
“I didn’t realize it was a national coloring contest until recently, and I didn’t know she had done the contest until corporate Culver’s called,” Lori said.
“She is a very creative young lady and it’s tremendous,” Terry said.
This is not the first art contest Keely has won. She colored a fish picture and won an art contest at the Lakes Festival in Kosciusko County.

(Story By The Times Union)