By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
The Disney World video had the gymnasium full of children at Kenwood Elementary School glued to the screen showing costumed characters and wild rides. They had no idea that one of their school mates would be called to the stage to win a trip to the magic kingdom.
Ryan Frankart, from Clubs Choice which runs the annual fundraiser at Kenwood, stopped the film and talked to the children about their efforts last year to raise funds for school technology, the school dance and fifth grade camp.
Many of the children won prizes including lunch in a limousine.
But Frankart had another surprise for the school on Tuesday. Each year, the fundraising company has a prize drawing covering all 40 states in which it operates.
The prize – a trip to Disney World.
The chances of winning – one in 75,000.
When the company pulled one name, it was a Kenwood student chosen for the trip for four people over four days and three nights.
The winner was kindergartner Hudson Karpuleon.
When the curtain opened to the gymnasium stage, there sat Hudson’s family with Mickey and Minnie Mouse ears on their heads and balloons surrounding them.
Hudson is quiet anyway. But put the kindergartner on a stage in front of 500 or so school mates, and she completely clammed up.
“She’s just really shy,” said her mother, Colleen Karpuleon.
Most of the questions to Hudson were met with a nod of the head and swinging legs.
“It will be a totally different ballgame when you get home tonight,” her father, Steve Karpuleon predicted about Hudson’s excitement level.
Her brother, Sebastian, on the other hand, was nearly bouncing off his chair with delight over the Disney trip.
Colleen Karpuleon said she was just focused on Hudson selling enough fundraiser items – like candles, wrapping paper and frozen food items – to get a limo lunch ride. She had no idea that her daughter could win a trip for the family to Disney World.
When the gym cleared out a bit, Hudson, grasping a bouquet of flowers and wearing a set of mouse ears on her head, was able to talk about which Disney characters she most wanted to see – Rapunzel, and her two favorite princesses, Ariel and Belle.
