Union Kiwanis Club awards photo contest winners

“Union Kiwanis Club is all about the kids,” Kiwanis Public Relations Chair Karen Butterfield said. “Everything we do is for the kids, and it’s really nice to be able to see the world through their eyes.”

Union’s Taco Bell co-sponsored the event this year, paying for the T-shirts for the winners.

First, second and third place awards were given to participants in each of the seven age categories, and a few of the categories also had honorable mentions. An eighth division called the “Creative Category” involved all ages, and students were allowed to manipulate the photo using filters, saturation and more.

Each winner received a medal, framed photo of their picture, a T-shirt and a painted rock inspired by their photo.

In the 12 to 13 age category, Miranda Brinkmann won first place for her picture titled “Bigfoot Sighting - Hide and Seek Champion Found!” Brinkmann said last year for her cousin’s wedding, she and her dad cut out a foam silhouette of Bigfoot and placed it outside to mess with her cousin. She said they took the photo at 2 a.m. when the moon was shining down in the fog.

“I think it turned out really awesome,” she said.

Miranda said she wants to continue exploring photography.

“I like getting all the different angles of stuff and seeing the little things,” she said.

In the 8 to 10 age category, Elaina Brinkmann won second place for her photo called “Wonderful Waterfall” which she captured at a butterfly garden.

“I really like taking photos, and I’ve never done this before,” she said. “I like how you can really do, like, anything with your pictures and there’s really no rules.”

Elaina said she got some encouragement from her mom to enter the contest, and that she had wanted to see other students’ photos. She also thanked Kiwanis for playing host to the competition.  

Butterfield said the Union Kiwanis Club received many wonderful photos for the contest, as always.

“The community has really seemed to embrace it,” Butterfield said. “Every year we get to see the amazing, ingenuity of students, and see what they are doing and how wonderful they are.”