Hudson MS Places Second in Comerica Bank 'Vote For the Float' Contest
Article Date: January 8, 2010
None of the students at Hudson Middle School were even around in the 1980s but one group of them did an excellent job researching the decade that spawned Miami Vice, big hair bands and time-traveling DeLoreans.
Nicky Cassagne, Matthew Douthit, Jacky Delgadillo and Jalen Hardy recently earned $6,000 in prize money for a second-place finish in one of the fastest-growing Comerica New Year’s Day Parade events – its annual “Vote for the Float” competition.
Along with teacher William Sanders, the four students submitted a winning float design entitled “Celebrate the 80’s,” which featured a Rubik's Cube, jambox, and float riders dressed in 80’s-style clothing.
Each year the contest is open to all middle school students in Dallas County. The students and their teacher must design a float using original artwork created with various materials – pencil, pen, colored pencil, markers, paint, paper mache, computer design programs, etc.
The float design is then created to scale and accompanied by a 200-word description of how the entry captures the parade theme – which, this year, was “Celebrate Entertainment.”
After the eight finalists are chosen, their designs are professionally built by the Lone Star Parade Float Company and entered into the New Year’s Day Parade.
This year’s Hudson design was among those eight finalists chosen for the Jan. 1 contest, which was televised live on the Dallas FOX affiliate, Channel 4.
Voting began at the start of the New Year’s Day parade and concluded just before midnight on Jan. 2. In total, 26,251 votes were received online and through AT&T text messaging.
The Alternative Education Center finished sixth in the contest and Webb Middle School finished seventh. The three schools earned a total of $7,000 in prize money for Garland ISD Fine Arts programs.