White Christmas - Kids' Writing Contest Winners

In November, Parent Map and The 5th Avenue Theatre invited kids age 16 and under to enter a writing contest, sharing with us their favorite holiday memories or their dreams this holiday season.

We had many special entries from kids all around the Puget Sound area - thank you to every one of you who took the time to write down your holiday dreams or memories and send them in!

Congratualtions to our three contest winners, Connor Jones, Mi-Rae Yun Kapelak and Estella Clapper. We are excited to share your holiday dreams and members with fans of The 5th Avenue Theatre and have you and your families as guests to see White Christmas!

Take a moment to read through our winning entries:

Connor Jones (age 13-16 category)

It was Monday the 22 and we were getting ready to leave for our grandparents in Spokane. There was already about two feet of snow on the ground making it nearly impossible for us to get the silver bullet (our minivan) out of the driveway. After shoveling all morning we finally were on our way. We finally pulled in to Spokane around 9:00pm. The temperature outside was a frigid 10 degrees and there was about 4 feet of snow (more than I’ve ever seen in my life). I saw icicles hanging from buildings 20 feet long. I already knew I was going to have to break one or ten. After we got to our grandparent’s house we immediately lay down and went to bed. The next day we unpacked. By Christmas Eve all the family members had arrived and grandmas cooking could be smelt throughout the house. I was so pumped for this Christmas I could hardly wait! Later that night we had dinner and I immediately went to bed around nine thirty. I knew that it was pointless to try to wait for Santa. When I woke the next morning there was another six inches of snow on the ground but I was hardly paying attention to the outside. I ran upstairs to the Christmas tree and lo and behold the floor was covered with presents I immediately started to open them. I can’t remember what I got but I think the thing that made this Christmas so memorable was the snow and how much fun I had with family. Having everyone their together during a truly white Christmas was absolutely amazing.

My name is Connor and I am 14. My parents have been delt with layoffs, so I would love to win this for them!

Mi-Rae Yun Kapelak (age 9-12 category)

Whoever is reading this must first know that I am not the average "pretty in pink" girl. I sadly prefer violent video games. This is because my older brother loved to play violent and fighting style video games. While I was growing up he passed his obsessive hobby down to me. So I am a tomboy, but the thing is I also love to dance. I started when I was three yrs. old, and hoping to continue that hobby. I do ballet, jazz, tap, and some more. Now, knowing that about me will help you understand my Christmas dreams better.

Like others, I hope to win this contest but for a different reason. Oddly enough, I don't actually "hate" my 15 yr. old brother. My brother puts his after school time into acting, musicals and improvisation. Since I care about him I think that he would enjoy this musical. I bet even if he could go see Hamlet he would smile with glee. My other hope would be is maybe having my mother relaxing instead of working this year in Christmas. I think in my house she makes Christmas happen. As for my father, maybe a nice sidecar, with a sugared rim, in a nice glass would make him smile too. My dad is a book of the classic cars, jazz, and drinks. All of that would make me happy and a simple thing for me is that I want getting my ears pierced. In exactly 253 words here are my holiday dreams.

Estella Clapper (age 8 and under category)

Children’s Hospital is a special place in Seattle, Washington. Special doctors and nurses take care of all ages from babies to teenagers. Kids from all over the Northwest come to be treated there. 200,000 patients visited the Children’s Hospital last year.

I know about Children’s Hospital because when I was a newborn baby I had breathing problems. My family was so sad. Doctors and nurses from Children’s Hospital came to Northwest Hospital with an ambulance. They put me in a special crib that fit in the ambulance and helped me breathe. They put me in the ambulance and drove in the middle of the night across the town to Children’s Hospital. There were tubes in my mouth going into my lungs and a machine helped me breathe by pushing air with oxygen into my lungs. I got better in three days and stayed for more days to learn to eat. Then I was better and my mom and dad took me home to my house and cats.

Ben is a boy I knew. He loved the movie Cars. But when he was so small the doctors and nurses found he had cancer. They took him to Children’s Hospital and he was treated there for cancer. Lots of doctors and nurses and volunteers cared for Ben and helped him and loved him. After lots of treatment, he got too sick and died. At the memorial service they sang “How Many Angels’’.

Theses are my dream for this holiday season:

I hope everybody is healthy like me.

I hope that everybody is happy and loved.

I hope for more volunteers and decorations.

I want the people to build more rooms and spaces for all the people that come to Children’s Hospital from other States and other Countries.

I want to be a volunteer when I am 14 years old at Children’s Hospital. I want to be a nurse or a doctor some day.

This is one of my favorite dreams about snow.
When the kids woke up from Children’s Hospital on Christmas eve they saw some snow, just enough to cover the trees and the ground with snow, but not too much to make it hard for the ambulances, nurses and doctors to get to the hospital. AND THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER!