Battery brand announces grand prize winner in Canadian initiative that brings dream creatures to life
TORONTO, Aug. 20, 2015 /CNW/ - An eight year old from Guelph Ontario has been named Canada's newest inventor by Energizer Canada and their "Join Our Journey" contest. The program, which encourages families to get involved in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), has ended with the recent announcement of Sarah Robinson as the grand prize winner.
Five finalists were in the running for a chance to see their "dream creature" become a real, working toy with help from Energizer EcoAdvanced™ batteries and the engineers at Toronto based 3D printer, 3DPhacktory. Robinson will also receive a $10,000 contribution toward a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP).
"Here at Energizer, we have a history of innovation, and Join Our Journey was about inspiring Canada's next generation to be innovative too," said Michelle Hodd, senior brand manager of Energizer Canada. "We are delighted that we can help Sarah on her STEM journey as the winner of the contest."
Robinson invented the Racing Bug, which promises to always keep kids guessing what it will do next. The green insect style dream creature, with heart detailing and lots of fast legs, is meant to keep kids active by having them chase it around, says Robinson.
"When I was inventing the Racing Bug, I imagined a toy that kids of all ages would want to play with and one that I would want to play with too" she says. "I loved watching the Racing Bug come to life. I can't wait to learn more about science technology engineering and math in my future, and I hope I've inspired other kids to have fun with those subjects too."
The runner up, and winner of a $5,000 RESP, is Hannah Hopkins, 11, of Tillsonburg, Ont., designed a creature named Vendo-bot. She hopes to become a role model for young girls to show them how fun STEM can be.
The other finalists included Florence Emmanuelle, 8, of Rosemere, Que., who is the inventor of Fox; she has always loved science experiments, and dreams of becoming a top chef. Colby Breedon, 8, of Innisfil, Ont. designed dream creature Alien Truck, and wants to be a car designer when he grows up. Oona Johnstone-Laurette, 10, of Cape Breton N.S., is the inventor of TaiKohh, a wingless dragon that dreams of one day soaring through the sky with the help of a helicopter.
The "Join Our Journey" campaign celebrates Energizer's latest ground-breaking innovation, the Energizer® EcoAdvanced™ battery, which is the world's first long lasting, high-performance AA battery made with four per cent recycled batteries.
"Our scientists and inventors created the Energizer ® EcoAdvanced™ battery, and this revolutionary product was made possible because of their forward thinking and innovation," said Hodd. "The Join Our Journey program was designed to encourage young people to get involved in STEM-related activities, so they can become innovators one day too."
Since March, Energizer Canada has been asking Canadian children to use their imagination and creativity to draw their dream creature, in hopes of seeing it turned into a real, working toy with the help of Energizer® EcoAdvanced™ batteries. Finalists were chosen by a panel of industry experts who judged each "dream creature" entry for creativity, originality, and its potential for becoming a fun, useful toy. Videos from each of the finalists explaining their dream creature were posted on JoinEnergizer.ca where Canada voted for their favourite.
About Energizer® EcoAdvanced™
Energizer® EcoAdvanced™ batteries were launched in Canada on February 3rd, 2015. They are the world's first long lasting, high-performance AA batteries made with 4 percent recycled batteries. This groundbreaking advancement in battery technology is the first step in creating value for recycled battery materials, which previously had little or no economic value. Energizer® EcoAdvanced™ batteries have less impact on the planet than previous alkaline batteries: because recycled materials are used, less virgin material is required in the manufacturing process. Energizer® EcoAdvanced™ also lasts longer than our other alkaline batteries and is the latest example of how Energizer uses research to understand and develop technology to meet evolving consumer needs.
About Energizer
Energizer Brands LLC. [NYSE: ENR], headquartered in St. Louis, MO, is one of the world's largest manufacturers of primary batteries, portable flashlights and lanterns. Energizer is a global leader in the dynamic business of providing power solutions with a full portfolio of products including Energizer brand battery products, Energizer® MAX premium alkaline, Energizer® Ultimate Lithium, Energizer® Advanced Lithium, rechargeable batteries and charging systems, and portable flashlights and lanterns. Visit www.energizer.ca.
SOURCE Energizer Canada
Video with caption: "Video: Guelph child watches dream creature come to life with help of 3D printing and Energizer® EcoAdvanced™ batteries". Video available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.cgi?file=20150820_C4144_VIDEO_EN_481364.mp4&posterurl=http%3a%2f%2fphotos.newswire.ca%2fimages%2f20150820_C4144_PHOTO_EN_481364.jpg&order=1&jdd=20150820&cnum=C4144
Media Contact: Bri Bijman, [email protected], 416-845-8193
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