1996 Color the Bridge to your Future Essay Contest

AMBASSADOR BRIDGE ANNOUNCED ESSAY CONTEST TO SUPPORT EDUCATION

DETROIT, MI, January 30, 1996 For the first time in its storied history, the Ambassador Bridge started to be re-painted from top to bottom. To celebrate this landmark event and monumental under-taking, the Ambassador Bridge conducted an essay contest which provided substantial funding for the college education of winning entrants in Detroit and Windsor-Essex County.

The "Color the Bridge to Your Future" essay contest sought creative suggestions for a color of paint for the Ambassador Bridge, North America's #1 international border crossing. The contest was open to all students enrolled in grade seven in Detroit and Windsor-Essex County schools.

First prize was $4,000, second prize was $2,500, and third prize was $ 1,000. There were three winners in the Detroit contest and three winners in the identical contest in Windsor. With the prize money, the Ambassador Bridge purchased annuities for the students which will enable the money to grow until the students graduate, from high school.

Additionally, the first place entrants' schools received a personal computer for use in the school library or for other reasonable, purposes benefiting the entire school.

"The Ambassador Bridge has long been a supporter of our two communities," said Remo Mancini, corporate vice president. "We also realize the necessity to support students and their educational needs. The five to seven year painting project of the Bridge, provides an opportunity for grade seven students in our communities to exhibit their creativity by recommending a color, naming that color and explaining why they feel the Bridge Should be painted that color."

Due to technical, environmental and maintenance requirements, the students were not to select the actual color to be used on the Bridge. The objective of the contest was to provide funding for higher education while fostering creativity among students.

"It's never too early to begin planning for higher education," added Mancini. "By the time the seventh grade winners finish high school, the annuities will have increased substantially."

Detroit area first place entry
Windsor area first place entry

 

Detroit area first place entry

Student Name:		Aisha Jada Jsonos
School:		Immaculate Heart of Mary
School Address:		19940 Mansfield Detroit, Michigan 48235
Principal's Name:		Sister Stephanie
Teacher's Name:		Mrs. Diane Laird
Parent's Name:		Mary Jada Jsonos

WALAKIB

The color I made up is called Walakib. This color is an earth red color with hints of orange. It has the appearance of minerals and symbolizes the existence of life. The smoothness of the color expresses great warmth and love.

Based on the earth's red color, Walakib represents our work and the many different kinds of people who live in it. It also represents people who live in it. It also represents people from our past, as well as the present and future. The hints of orange add to its mystery, the unknown future. All together Walakib with its earth red color and hints of orange shows change, strength, life, time, and all the natural beauties of the world. I hope Walakib will give a sense of strength and power to anyone using the bridge. I want this color to express happiness and a feeling to make people feel free to do anything. When the sun shines on Walakib giving off its magnificent earth red color, or when the moon is glowing reflecting its mysterious hints of orange, people should feel the peace. To me, Walakib's earth red tone color symbolizes everything that has come out of the earth like flower in a field and trees, things that come out of the ground like vegetables and fruits, animals that roam the earth; and people who live, work and depend a lot on the earth's yield with every changing season. Walakib will bring many different feelings and thoughts to anyone who experiences it's beautiful color. Hopefully it will be very impressive and mysterious.

Aisha Jada Jsonos

 

 

Windsor area first place entry

Student Name:		Allison Knight
School:		Jack Miner Public School
School Address:		2176 Division Road North Kingsville, Ontario
Principal's Name:		Mr. Dent
Teacher's Name:		Mr. Friesen
Parent's Name (s):		Rosalind and Ray Knight

Why The Ambassador Bridge Should Be Painted The Color 'Rellowhack'

An elderly native woman peered down at her young granddaughter, who was about to learn the story of the "Long, long ago," she began," there lived a black bear, a white swan, a red crab, and a yellow chicken. They were the worst of enemies, and fought with each other all of the time-and this was because they were different from (one) another. Well, the leader of the animal community, the glass loon, tried and tried to get the animals to stop fighting, but none of them listened to the wise loon. It went on and on like this for all of the summer and autumn. When it turned winter, it became ferociously cold, and all of the plants died and most of the animal community did, too, except the bear, crab, chicken, and swan.

Finally, the glass loon told them, "We cannot all survive. We must come together and think, without your help, we don't have a chance" , he said. The animals began to feel bad about always fighting with each other, while the glass loon had tried to make the community work together.

"If you need food", the crab said, "swallow me. At least somebody will have a chance at survival." After talking this over, the loon finally said, "Go ahead, yellow chicken, he is just the right size of food for you," And so, the yellow chicken swallowed the small red crab.

This process was continued as the chicken provided food for the frail white swan, and in turn, the swan fed the bear.

The bear and the loon lived happily for a few days, but the bear began to feel guilty about the loon having nothing to eat.

"Please swallow me," said the black bear," you have always put everyone else before you, and you have never once complained. I think it's time you do something for yourself."

The loon thought this over, and finally said, "But I will have nobody to look after, or nobody to talk to. I will die of loneliness."

"But you will always have a part of us inside of you,"said the bear. "You will have red from the crab, yellow from the chicken, white from the swan, and black from me. You will be "rellowhack". You will be all of us."

Finally, the glass loon swallowed the bear, and he was no longer clear, but was 'rellowhack', the color of all. And soon it turned spring and plants grew back. The rellowhack loon had a baby loon, and things were looking up. From then on the community only grew together, and the wise old loon always remembered his friends.

That is why the Ambassador Bridge is 'rellowhack' today. As it links two friendly countries, it is the color of friendship, the color of togetherness and the color of one.

 

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