Local girl wins Google competition and needs your vote to take the grand prize
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IDAHO FALLS – The next time you log into Google, pay attention to the logo because it could be a local girl’s design on display.
Twelve-year-old Hailey Bateman of Idaho Falls is the state winner for the “Doodle for Google” contest.
“I’m pretty excited,” Hailey says. “I’ve never won a contest before.”
“Doodle for Google” is a national annual contest that gives kids a chance to draw the Google logo around a specific theme. Participants in this year’s contest were asked to submit a doodle based on what kindness means to them.
“I picked people for each letter. So, for example, the ‘G’ was an old man with the ‘o’ as a little girl helping him walk,” Hailey says. “The ‘le’ was a girl pushing a wheelchair.”
Hailey was awarded a Google Chrome Tablet and a Google Nest Mini for her efforts. Her art, along with the other 53 winners, can be seen in an online gallery on the Doodle for Google website.
Hailey has always enjoyed drawing and says she first picked it up from her mom. She never thought she’d ever win an art contest.
Hailey’s doodle now advances to the national competition. The public can vote for their favorite through Friday at 10:59 p.m.
A panel of Google executives will then select the top 5 and narrow the contest down to a finalist on a date to be determined.
The national winner will have their artwork displayed on the Google homepage for a day. They will also receive a $30,000 scholarship and a $50,000 tech package for their school.
Hailey says she is excited to have made it this far, and she’s asking you to vote for her doodle.
Only one vote is allowed per person. To cast your vote, go here and click on “Grades 6-7.”