SAN DIEGO, Dec. 19, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ahead of its upcoming appearance in the 2020 Rose Parade presented by Honda, The UPS Store, Inc. announces the three winners of “Tell Your Tale,” a nationwide contest for short stories written by young authors, in celebration of childhood literacy.
The winning writers, ranging in age from 7-16 years old, will each receive a $1,000 prize plus $10,000 worth of books from Scholastic provided through the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, for their respective school or an organization of their choice. The contest aligns with the mission of the Toys for Tots Literacy Program® to encourage a love for reading and improve access to books for children across the United States. The three winners of The UPS Store sponsored “Tell Your Tale” contest are:
- Luca F, Granite Bay, California
- Story Title: “The Golden Tamarin Monkey’s Journey Across the Jungle”
- Organization: Oakhills Elementary School
- Rebecca L, Harrisburg, Missouri
- Story Title: “Reading Day!”
- Organization: Christian Fellowship School
- Allison S, Fort Pierre, South Dakota
- Story Title: “Recycling for Our Community”
- Organization: Stanley County School District
By sharing their creative stories, each of the winning authors demonstrated the importance of childhood literacy in cultivating a passion for learning.
“Reading is important because it’s fun, and we can learn many things,” said author Luca.
“My favorite part about reading is how it makes me think,” said author Rebecca. “Reading is important because it is the foundation for other areas of learning.”
“I enjoy reading because I can get lost in the story, and it’s a simple thing that makes me happy,” added author Allison. “I think that reading is an important tool because no matter where you go or what you do you will always have to read.”
Each short story was inspired by a rendering of The UPS Store-sponsored float which will appear in the 2020 Rose Parade. The selection of stories will be published in a special anthology book, of which 10,000 copies will be handed out at the Tournament of Roses® Post Parade event on Jan. 1-2 in Pasadena, California and will also be available online. A number of the books distributed will be available in braille to support literacy for children that are visually impaired.
“The UPS Store, Inc. congratulates these imaginative and inspiring young authors for sharing their stories. These wonderful tales capture the spirit of our float and parade theme of hope,” said Tim Davis, president of The UPS Store, Inc. “Our contest winners will help us shine a light on improving children’s literacy on the national stage at the Rose Parade.”
As the books are being printed, The UPS Store, Inc., which won last year’s top parade prize, is also hard at work preparing for its fourth appearance in the annual New Year’s Day procession.
The UPS Store-sponsored Rose Parade float, titled “Stories Change Our World,” will make its way down Pasadena’s iconic 5.5 mile stretch of Colorado Boulevard. Designed by Fiesta Parade Floats, the majestic float will showcase tamarin monkeys, an endangered species, alongside toucans, salamanders, butterflies and parrots, to represent hope and strong community ties.
At 35 feet tall and 55 feet long, this tropical-themed, colorful float will showcase thousands of fresh flowers with animated animals and sparkling waterfalls, all of which are synchronized and powered by a state-of-the-art hydraulic system. As the animals move and the waterfalls cascade, the system also enables the float to lower from 35 feet to 16 feet in less than a minute when passing under low wires and bridges along the route.
To create a unique life-like and natural setting, the float will be meticulously adorned with diverse floral varieties, from vibrant blue statice blossoms to 25,000 dark pink Hot Lady roses. The family of golden tamarin monkeys will be fashioned in layers of bronze and gold strawflower petals, highlighted in bands of gold and orange marigolds and finished with thousands of Mokara, Oncidium and James Story orchid stems. The monkeys will slowly turn their heads side-to-side, butterflies’ wings will gently flutter and beautiful music will play setting the scene. Non-floral elements on the float will include surprising plant-based material such as black seaweed, green split peas, orange lentils, mung beans and white coconut chips.
The national retailer’s parade appearance is the culmination of the annual Toys for Tots Literacy Program, created by The UPS Store, Inc. and the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation in 2008. Through its 4,800 plus retail locations in communities throughout the United States, The UPS Store® network has collected more than $5.1 million and distributed over 41 million books to help children who need it most since the Toys for Tots Literacy Program began. Each locally owned and operated The UPS Store location is fundamental to the success of the program and will collect donations through the end of the year.
See The UPS Store float in the 131st Rose Parade presented by Honda at 8 a.m. PST on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020 on ABC, NBC, Hallmark Channel, RFDtv, KTLA or Univision.
To learn more about the Tell Your Tale contest, the Toys for Tots Literacy Program and The UPS Store’s appearance in the Rose Parade, visit https://www.theupsstore.com/literacy.
About The UPS Store
With approximately 5,000 locations across North America, The UPS Store® network comprises the nation’s largest franchise system of retail shipping, postal, print and business service centers. The UPS Store locations in the U.S. are independently owned and operated by licensed franchisees of The UPS Store, Inc., a subsidiary of UPS (NYSE: UPS). Services, products, pricing and hours of operation may vary by location. For additional information on The UPS Store, visit theupsstore.com.
In 2019, The UPS Store ranked #5 overall in Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise 500 and #1 in the Postal & Business Centers category for the 29th consecutive year. For information on franchise opportunities for opening a The UPS Store location, visit https://www.theupsstorefranchise.com/. Follow The UPS Store on Twitter at @TheUPSStore and like The UPS Store on Facebook at facebook.com/theupsstore.