Kindergarten's 'Why give a Heifer this holiday season?' film named runner-up
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Feb. 7, 2011) – With "lights, camera, action!" skills, Nicole Bleuel, of Stamford, Conn., answered the question, "Why give a Heifer this holiday season?" and with her very "moo"-ving video, won Heifer International's first ever "Experience Video contest."
The win earns Bleuel, a student at Columbia University of New York, and a guest a trip to visit a Heifer International project in Canada, Latin America, Eastern Europe or Africa during summer 2011, a Flip® camera and the chance to shoot additional video of the trip for herself and for Heifer.
Runner-up was Deb Hagedorn, of South Windsor, Conn., a kindergarten teacher whose classroom video, "Hand in Hand at Pleasant Valley," wins her and a guest a visit to the Heifer Ranch and Learning Center in Perryville, Ark., where they will participate in one of the available programs for individuals, and a Flip® camera.
In all, 20 videos were entered into the contest, garnering a combined total of more than 18,800 views and 3,174 likes. The margin between first and second place was just four votes.
"I wanted to teach both of my kindergarten classes the importance of focusing on the needs of others who are less fortunate," said Hagedorn. The contest provided "an excellent opportunity to be able to integrate multiple lessons such as the giving of animals and how they would benefit a family. Not only did it spark their inquisitiveness, but also their enthusiasm in being able to help others."
The contest invited people to use their video skills to help Heifer International in its mission to end hunger and poverty and care for the Earth. Heifer provides living gifts of livestock, seeds, trees and training to families in need to give them a hand up toward better nutrition, better income, to self-reliance.
Videos were required to feature the theme, "Why give a Heifer gift this holiday season." Entrants posted their videos on YouTube , and were encouraged to share their video through their own social networks and tell everyone they know to '"like" their video, with the most "liked" video declared winner.
"The Heifer Experience Video Contest gave people a chance to hone their video skills and to help end hunger and poverty around the world," said Casey Neese, social media manager for Heifer International. Today, nearly one billion people are chronically hungry in the World, according to the World Bank, and nearly 2 billion live on less than $2 a day.
"By sharing their video, Nicole and Deb made more people aware of the problems, which may prompt more to get involved with Heifer to help provide a solution."
Bleuel's video can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6i5mg8PlhJk. The runner-up video, by Hagedorn, can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAoLYgxL3tA
About Heifer International
Heifer's mission is to end hunger and poverty while caring for the Earth. Since 1944, Heifer International has provided livestock and environmentally sound agricultural training to improve the lives of those who struggle daily for reliable sources of food and income. Heifer is currently working in 50 countries, including the United States, to help families and communities become more self-reliant.
For more information, visit www.heifer.org or call (800) 696-1918.
