Sequim Gazette staff

Organizers for the 2012 Sequim Irrigation Festival recently kicked off their annual button design contest for all students in Sequim School District boundaries in first-fifth grades.

Last year, 141 students entered, including students from Greywolf and Helen Haller Elementary and home school programs.

Greywolf student Blake Wiker won a limo ride around Sequim and free lunch for designing the festival’s button.

This year’s theme is “117 & Still Growin’ Green.” Organizers suggest using blue water and green fields, colorful crops, hay bales, farm implements, irrigation devices and/or farmers in the picture.

The winning button designer receives at minimum:

• A ride in the Saturday, May 12, Irrigation Festival Grand Parade

• Three tickets to the Irrigation Festival Pageant

• Dinner for three to the Irrigation Festival Kick-off Dinner

• Introduction and recognition at all festival events

• A one-day armband for the Irrigation Festival Carnival

• Artwork and artist bio featured in the Information Booth and Festival Program

The following rules apply:

• Participants in grades one through five must live within the Sequim School District boundaries.

• Entries must be submitted on white paper no larger than 8 1/2” x 11” and be original and created in 2011.

• Be sure to include contact information, like the designer’s name, address, phone number, e-mail address (if available), and teacher (if applicable) on the back of each entry.

• Participants can enter as many times as they choose.

• If a participant wants the entry back, he or she must include a self-addressed stamped envelope.

Judges will retain the winning artwork.

• Entries for Helen Haller and Greywolf students are due by noon, Friday, Oct. 28.

• Send individual entries to: Irrigation Festival Button Contest, P.O. Box 3201, Sequim, Wash., 98382. Entries must be postmarked by October 29, 2011.

• Judges choose a winner Nov. 11.

Fifth-graders from both elementary schools sell the winning design in March 2012 to help the festival.

For more information, call 808-5448, or e-mail info@irrigationfestival.com.