Growing Up With Loukoumi children’s book author grants contest winners three dream days
Winners witness a Mars landing, play pro soccer and cook with a TV chef
“Believe in yourself and dreams come true!” These are the words spoken throughout the children’s book Growing up with Loukoumi, and last Fall author Nick Katsoris launched Growing up with Loukoumi Dream Day, a national contest based on the award-winning children's book, where kids can win the chance to spend a day in their dream career. Recently, three lucky kids got the opportunity to visit NASA for a Mars landing, play soccer with the New York Red Bulls, and meet a television chef.
The book, named one of the best products of 2007 by iParenting Media, teaches children they can be anything when they grow up, if they work hard and believe in themselves. Over 200 Dream Day events were held at schools, libraries and bookstores nationwide where thousands of children entered the contest by drawing a picture of themselves in their future dream career accompanied by the statement: "I Want to be a ___ because..." Over 20 finalists were selected with the top 3 winning the chance to live their Dream Day.
The first winner, Sophie Saidmehr, a nine-year-old girl from Long Island, wants to be a Mars Rover Engineer.
“I’ve always been interested in other planets,” said Sophie. “I want to be a rover engineer and work at NASA and build robots.”
And so Katsoris arranged for this young girl to visit Pasadena, CA on Memorial Day weekend to the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab when the Phoenix actually landed on Mars. This future rover engineer was there for this international event, and was among the first people on earth to see the photos from Mars. She also toured the facility including mission control and spent time with an actual Mars Rover engineer.
“I doubted I would be one of the national winners,” said Sophie, “but my mom said, ‘If you say you will win, you will.’ So, I kept saying ‘I will win’…and I did! Then Nick Katsoris called and said my Dream Day would come true! I screamed so loud the neighbors could hear me.”
“Last week we visited Pasadena for one of the biggest events in my life!” explains Sophie. “On May 25th I witnessed the Phoenix land on Mars! I was so nervous! Everyone was doing the countdown until it landed safely. Then we saw the first pictures. Everyone was cheering and screaming! It was an incredible experience. IT WAS THE BEST TRIP EVER!!!!! Like the book Growing up with Loukoumi says, ‘Believe in yourself and dreams really do come true!’”
The second winner, Lionel Li, an eight-year-old boy from New York, wishes to be a soccer player and he spent the day with the pro soccer team, The New York Red Bulls. He attended a practice and a game, played with the teammates and had lunch with them.
“I want to be a soccer star because I love to play soccer and it teaches you to cooperate,” said Lionel,” and when he received the news he said he was “speechless.”
“This experience with the New York Red Bulls is like a dream,” said Lionel, “except for the fact that this time it’s true! I have learned so much about how we can accomplish anything if we give it determination and the utmost effort.”
The third winner, Greek-American Nika Linn, from Fort Collins, Colorado, wants to be a chef on a food television show, and she will have the opportunity to cook on television with celebrated television chef Tony Tantilo on WCBS-TV in New York. She will also attend a taping and meet Rachel Ray on the set of her hit television show.
“The book Growing up with Loukoumi teaches kids that they can be anything when they grow up and that if they believe in themselves their dreams will come true,” said Katsoris, “but these Dream days are even beyond my expectations for this contest.”
Katsoris ventured on each Dream Day to meet the kids and to experience the Dream Days for himself.
“To see Lionel’s excitement when he kicked the soccer ball with the Red Bulls was priceless! To be there at NASA and watch the spacecraft land on Mars was incredible. It was like living within a Steven Spielberg film. The anticipation was surreal and the excitement was contagious throughout mission control and the entire NASA facility, and then to witness it through Sophie’s eyes and to see how this experience made her believe in herself, is my dream come true! That’s what Growing up with Loukoumi is all about.”
“I didn’t want the day to end,” said Sophie.
Contest judges included the narrators on the book's accompanying CD: Oscar winner Olympia Dukakis, Grammy Winner Gloria Gaynor, CBS News anchor Alexis Christoforous, Guiding Light's Frank Dicopoulos and American Idol's Constantine Maroulis,. The judging panel also included actress Florence Henderson, Fox-5 News Anchor Ernie Anastos, Make-A-Wish Foundation of America VP Jennifer Maher, and iParenting Media Editor-in-chief Elisa All.
"I think it's very important for children to hear and know that there are grown-ups who believe that if you work hard and strive for something, it's possible to have your dreams come true,” said Olympia Dukakis, contest judge and narrator on the Growing up with Loukoumi CD. “There is no question that children will confront a lot of obstacles, however, it is important for them to understand that there are possibilities for them. They need to know that adults believe in their potential. It’s a message I clearly received from my parents and I've tried to give it to my children and to my grandchildren.”
“It’s so important for parents to get behind their kids dreams and to offer them the opportunities, the education and the tools that they need,” adds co-narrator and judge Constantine Maroulis, who followed his dream on American Idol. “Following your dreams is so vital.”
The book is dedicated to the author’s Aunt, Kay Battista, a National Teacher of the Year out of New Jersey, who died of a brain tumor over 20 years ago, yet her impact on Katsoris remains as strong today as it did then.
“My Aunt always encouraged me to believe in myself and to follow my dream, which in my case was writing. Now through my writing, I want to spread her message of encouragement and instill in kids that they can be what they want when they grow up if they work hard and believe in themselves.”
About the Book:
Growing Up With Loukoumi, the second in a series of children’s books by Nick Katsoris, following Loukoumi in 2005, has been featured on several national programs including The Martha Stewart Show, which called it "Charming, beautiful and gives confidence." Other media outlets followed suit including The Morning Show with Mike & Juliet (calling the book "inspiring!"), Good Day New York ("Adorable"), NY Daily News ("Darling"), and The Journal News ("A heartwarming story of a little lamb with big aspirations"). Barnes & Noble booksellers have selected Growing up with Loukoumi to be featured on its Graduation gift displays nationwide. The third Loukoumi book will be released this Fall and will also include another national drawing contest.
The Growing Up With Loukoumi CD includes a narration of both Loukoumi books plus an original song by Gloria ("I Will Survive") Gaynor called "Believe." The book debuted at the prestigious Children’s Museum of Manhattan and has since has been featured at over 200 storytimes nationwide. $2 from the sale of each book/CD benefit a national children's charity. Additional proceeds will be donated to the Teachers of the Year Scholarship Fund in memory of Katsoris’ Aunt, Kay Battista. The Greek language version of the book will be released by Livanis Publishing this Fall including a CD narrating the book by singer Anna Vissi and her daughter Sophia Karvela.
For more on Dream Day visit www.Loukoumi.com
