TREASURE HUNT 2007
To all who played: The ThanksUSA team appreciates your participation in ThanksUSA's second annual American History Treasure Hunt. CONGRATULATIONS to the winners.
We have, when authorized by the winner, included information about their family and their experience in playing ThanksUSA's Second Annual American History Treasure Hunt.
We have, when authorized by the winner, included information about their family and their experience in playing ThanksUSA's Second Annual American History Treasure Hunt.
School/Youth Group Winners
$2,000 gift certificate per chapter
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Debra Diner, a 7th-grade teacher at Oak Run School in Oak Run, CA, and her students won a $2,000 gift certificate to use at Staples for successfully completing treasure hunt chapter One, which focuses on the state of Virginia: "Our students learned a lot about teamwork from this treasure hunt. They found that they could accomplish much more working together. We are now planning a filed trip to Staples. We are very excited about this! Thank you very much!"
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Michelle DesEnfant, the head teacher at DesEnfant Academy (homeschool) in Riverton, Wyoming, and her class -- which consists of John, a 4th grader, and Richard, a 2nd grader -- won a $2,000 gift certificate to use at Staples for successfully completing treasure hunt Chapter Two, which focuses on the state of North Carolina.
"This year we really appreciate the rules that allowed schools to enter because the puzzles fit well with our studies of the States. I discovered the website last year when I was a Navy wife looking for assistance in furthering my own education. Although I did not get one of the ThanksUSA scholarships that year, we started playing the puzzles and were hooked. We worked on the puzzles for a combination of computer instruction (learning how to use web search tools) and social studies. Richard says: 'The puzzles were fun, but sometimes they were hard.' John says: 'Thank you, ThanksUSA!' And I say: The puzzles are challenging, fun, educational -- and getting harder." |
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Melissa Cook, a social-studies teacher at Union County Early College High School in Matthews, North Carolina, and her 9th-grade students won a $2,000 gift certificate to be used at Staples for successfully completing treasure hunt Chapter Three, which focuses on the state of South Dakota.
"Both the students and I have had a blast with the Treasure Hunt this year. As a social-studies teacher, I love the history and geography questions. My students obtained invaluable research experience — learning how to best utilize Internet search engines and key words. Current events are a part of our class. In addition, the cause of the Treasure Hunt is very important as we read more and more articles about what our military is doing. Students became so engaged in the treasure hunt and the larger cause of supporting troops, that the class hung a Support Our Troops banner to spur them on." |
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Tom Perdiew, a physical-education teacher at East Central High School in Bright, Indiana, and his 9th-grade students won a $2,000 gift certificate to be used at Staples for successfully completing treasure hunt Chapter Four, which focuses on the state of Tennessee.
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Andrea Brankin -- a Civics teacher at her homeschool (Forest Trail Academy) and homeschool co-op – and her students in Southlake, Texas, won a $2,000 gift certificate to use at Staples for successfully completing treasure hunt Chapter Five, which focuses on the state of Connecticut.
"Fun enrichment options like this quiz encourage and enhance the learning of history and civics for junior high age kids," said Brankin in an e-mail. "Well-designed, self-paced, challenging questions and easy-to-understand graphics are what made the ThanksUSA quiz rewarding, as well as the larger aim to support the children of our servicemen and women. Other projects this year have included donating and mailing needed supplies to the troops in the Middle East, and also, collecting books to be read on film by departing soldiers who are also parents of small children. My eldest is active-duty 2C in the US Coast Guard Academy, so it's all about learning, serving, and supporting our troops in a variety of ways. Thank you for this opportunity. We do plan to sign up again and continue!" |
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Susan Levy, a librarian at Meyersdale Elementary School in Meyersdale, Pennsylvania, and her fifth grade class won a $2,000 gift certificate to use at Barnes and Noble for successfully completing treasure hunt Chapter Six, which focuses on the state of Texas:
"This was such a wonderful thing for our kids. They really got into doing the contest and it was an excellent way to practice their research skills. It was a perfect activity to go along with my curriculum. Of course, the prize was unbelievable! We have a small, poor, rural school with kids who love to read. Winning books made them very happy. The money was divided between the members of the class and so they each received about $70 to choose books. They were also given the option of using some of their money to purchase a book for the library and I will put a nameplate in the front stating that they made the donation. Most of the kids chose to donate a book. Because today is the last full day of school (we only come for two hours tomorrow) and because we're over an hour from the closest Barnes & Noble, I just had them get onto the website and make a list of the books they would like to have. I will order them all online and then when they get to the school I'll divide them up and have them for the kids to pick-up in the school office during the summer. Thanks again." |
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Rita Houghton, a 5th-grade teacher at Brown School in Somerville, Massachusetts, and her students won a $2,000 gift certificate to use at Barnes & Noble for successfully completing treasure hunt Chapter Seven, which focuses on the state of Arizona.
"Participating in the ThanksUSA treasure hunt has been a great experience for my 5th-grade class," she reports. "They have learned ways to work together cooperatively, and finding the answers has been a great way to practice our research skills. In addition to learning how to do an effective Internet search, some students were surprised to find that it was sometimes much faster to use a good old fashioned encyclopedia! We have learned a lot of interesting historical facts about the different geographical regions we learn about in the 5th grade -- and we had fun doing it!" |
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Randy Stelzner, the head teacher at Solid Rock School (homeschool) in Riverton, Wyoming, and his students won a $2,000 gift certificate to use at Staples for successfully completing treasure hunt Chapter Eight, which focuses on the state of Massachusetts: "We would like to thank ThanksUSA.org and all of the supporting sponsors. It was an awesome experience for all of us. It stretched our ability to research historical and geographical trivia. We are looking forward to completing the remaining chapters."
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Debra Leventry, a teacher at Cathedral Catholic Academy in Johnstown, PA, and her 8th-grade students won a $2,000 gift certificate to be used at Staples for successfully completing treasure hunt Chapter Nine, which focuses on the state of Utah.
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Individual Winners
iPod, iPhone, Digital Camera
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Seth Blackiston, a teen from Whiteford, MD, won an iPod nano (PRODUCT) for successfully completing treasure hunt chapter One, which focuses on the state of Virginia.
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Michael Jacobson, a teen from Arlington, WA, won an iPod nano (PRODUCT) for successfully completing treasure hunt chapter Two, which focuses on the state of North Carolina.
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Darcy Arnall, a teen from Blue Ridge, GA, won an iPod nano (PRODUCT) for successfully completing treasure hunt chapter Three, which focuses on the state of South Dakota.
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Mitchell Klebe from Kingsland, GA, won an iPod nano (PRODUCT) for successfully completing treasure hunt chapter Four, which focuses on the state of Tennessee.
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Connor Brankin, a teen from from Southlake, TX, won an iPod nano (PRODUCT) for successfully completing treasure hunt chapter Five, which focuses on the state of Connecticut.
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Amanda Rock from New Haven, CT, won an iPod nano (PRODUCT) for successfully completing treasure hunt chapter Six, which focuses on the state of Texas.
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Jennifer Barnes from Alexandria, VA, won an iPhone for successfully completing treasure hunt chapter Seven, which focuses on the state of Arizona.
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Marty Prater from Harker Heights, TX, won an iPhone for successfully completing treasure hunt chapter Eight, which focuses on the state of Massachusetts.
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Jill Quaney from Auburn, KS, won an iPhone for successfully completing treasure hunt chapter Nine, which focuses on the state of Utah.
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Eva Cartwright, a teen from Fayetteville, NC, won an iPhone for successfully completing treasure hunt chapter Ten, which focuses on the state of Michigan.
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Cindy Nowak from Kenosha, WI, won an iPhone for successfully completing treasure hunt chapter Eleven, which focuses on the state of Illinois.
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Danelle Jarstfer from Haysi, VA, won an iPhone for successfully completing treasure hunt chapter Twelve, which focuses on the state of Washington.
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Kerry Rock from Cranston, RI, won a digital camera for successfully completing treasure hunt chapter Thirteen -- For Kids, By Kids.
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Computer Winners
Each of the following winners received a laptop computer, along with three valuable gems, an authentic Civil War bullet and an ancient Roman coin -- all in a keepsake box donated by Adeler Jewelers:
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Valerie Zwirn from Cerritos, CA, was the winner of Chapter One, which focuses on the state Virginia.
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Jan Hall from Clinton, SC, was the winner of Chapter Two, which focuses on the state of North Carolina. Jan requested that we give the computer and keepsake box to a military family. We then identified Justin Kalenits, 23, from Geneva, Ohio, who was seriously wounded in a Nov. 9 ambush in Nuristan province. (A bullet shattered Kalentis' pelvis.) He is recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Kalenits, his mother, Sue and a friend from Walter Reed stopped over to the Okun House to pick up the laptop computer. Kalenits would like to go back to Afghanistan to be with his buddies, but that's not an option. He plans to use the computer to begin taking online college courses.
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Stephanie Watson from Warren, MI, was the winner Chapter Three, which focuses on the state Tennessee.
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Matt Notley from Oakland, CA, was the winner of Chapter Four, which focuses on the state of South Dakota.
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Kathy Delaney from Oswego, NY, was the winner of Chapter Five, which focuses on the state of Connecticut.
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Connor Brankin, a teen from Southlake, TX, was the winner of Chapter Six, which focuses on the state of Texas.
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Arlene Feix from Wichita Falls, TX, was the winner of Chapter Seven, which focuses on the state of Arizona. Dear Thanks USA Team:
I am Arlene Joy Feix, a 48-year-old Nurse from Wichita Falls, Texas, and winner of the laptop (chapter 7). As a "military brat," I came to love history, politics, and geography. My father was a "Career Navy" CPO, and I also have several uncles, aunts, nieces and nephews, as well as many "in-laws," now serving in the armed forces. We SUPPORT OUR TROOPS in each and every way we can! Toward that end, I am donating the laptop to be used in the "Special Needs" unit -- this will help the kids I work with, as they all learn PC skills and help in communication. And I am giving the "Keepsake Box" jewels to one of the staff who has a husband in Iraq now. This was a great "HUNT" for my granddaughters and myself, and we learned so much together. This year my father, a retired Navy veteran, is also playing; he really enjoyed answering the trivia in the Clue Book's military chapters. (I gave the Civil War bullet to him, and am keeping the "widows mite" coin for myself.) Thank you for all you do for those that serve, and their families. And thank you for such a great prize. God Bless America, Arlene Joy Feix |
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Timothy Osterhoudt, a teen from Stafford, VA, was the winner of Chapter Eight, which focuses on the state of Massachusetts.
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Jamie Young from Philadelphia, PA, was the winner of Chapter Nine, which focuses on the state of Utah.
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David Bercik from Concord, CA, was the winner of Chapter Ten, which focuses on the state of Michigan.
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Paula Aberle from Cooper City, FL, was the winner of Chapter Eleven, which focuses on the state of Illinois. Paula asked that we give her computer to a military family. We identified John and Sarah Faulkenberry. The Faulkenberrys are from Midlands, Texas. John, 24 years old, an Army Airborne Ranger served two tours in Iraq and was on tour in Afghanistan when, this past July, he was shot and seriously injured. His right leg is paralyzed below the knee. He is in rehab at Walter Reed and it will be a long stay. Sarah has been offered a part-time position, which is where the computer comes in -- it will allow her to work some of the time from the hospital.
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Annie Bouillet from Chandler, AZ, was the winner of Chapter Twelve, which focuses on the state of Washington.
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Barbara Reisinger from Rocklin, CA, was the winner of Chapter Thirteen -- For Kids, By Kids.
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Grand Prize Winner
Unique Treasure Chest from Adeler Jewelers
