May 18th

By Mutt Mulligan

TurfMutt congratulates “Be a Backyard Superhero” contest winners

TurfMutt has a big high paw for Marissa Weber, a fifth grader from Guardian Angels Catholic School in Clearwater, Florida. Marissa won TurfMutt’s Be a Backyard Superhero Contest. Because of Marissa’s winning entry, her school will receive a $10,000 grant to improve a green space on school grounds.

Marissa won with a story depicting TurfMutt and the Outdoor Powers along with an original character “Earthy the Worm” fighting away Dust Demon to encourage healthy soil. Marissa’s teacher, Sandra Hoolihan, received the first-ever National TurfMutt Teacher Award and a trip to the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) annual conference. The event was held March 30 – April 2 in Los Angeles. The theme was “Sun, Surf & Science.”

Through TurfMutt’s friends at the National Association of Landscape Professionals, landscape experts at Orlando’s Massey Services will develop and install an outdoor classroom area for Marissa’s school this spring. A celebration event will be held at the school after the spruce up is complete.

To enter the annual contest, students had to create an original picture using the TurfMutt character cutouts. Students wrote stories to accompany their artwork showing how they are Backyard Superheroes, just like TurfMutt. The stories illustrated how the students are combating the environmental villains Carbon Creep, Dust Demon, Dr. Runoff, and Heat Freak while working to save living landscapes.

Students in K-2 wrote stories between 25-50 words, and students in grades 3-5 wrote 100-150 word stories. TurfMutt says congratulations to Marissa, and thanks to the more than 1,000 kids who entered this year’s contest!