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As most of you know, I ran a contest asking kids to finish the sentence,
"I'm Glad to be Gluten-Free Because...."  Results were greatly delayed for a
variety of reasons, but the results are finally in!  My team of four judges
(not including me) had a TOUGH job, I assure you.  The entries were all
wonderful -- here are the winners:

Age 3-5:  Alexys Benson (age 4-3/4) -- for her sentence that summed it all
up in an optimistic way.  "I'm glad I'm gluten-free because I feel good and
can play and be happy."

Age 6-10:  Bryanna Langley (age 8) -- her hand-written essay was positive --
we also liked that she mentions taking control of the diet (learning to
cook), and (my personal favorite part) reaching out to help others.  "My
name is Bryanna and I am eight years old.  I have been gluten-free since I
was three years old.  I am glad that I am gluten-free because my legs and my
tummy do not hurt anymore.  My brother and sister were sick too.  I'm glad
my mommy doesn't cry anymore.  We are healthier now since we are eating
better foods, foods that don't make us sick.  My mommy knows how to make a
gluten-free cake!  I am learning how to cook lots of gluten-free foods too.
When I grow up I will make healthy foods for my family.  I am glad God
helped Mommy and Daddy to know what to do.  Now I am glad we can help
others."

Age 11-16:  Matthew Hall (age 13) -- he pointed out the importance of
educating friends, and being sensitive to others' sensitivities.  "I'm glad
to be gluten-free because my friends and I can still be friends.  When I
have eaten with my friends there have been times they have not understood
why I have to eat the food I have.  So, I have shared with them about Celiac
Sprue, and I have shared my food with them.  While they may not like the
taste of some of the food I have we are still friends; and they have a
better understanding of what Celiac Sprue is and that others have medical
situations where they need to do things differently."

Each winner will receive $100 from ROCK (Raising Our Celiac Kids).  Sadly,
we didn't get enough entries to do the booklet we had hoped to do, but I'm
hoping to do this again in the near future, at which time we can add to
those we did receive, and perhaps publish the booklet afterall.  (If someone
would like to volunteer to do this independently of my publisher, please let
me know -- I envision it being used as a fundraiser for research and kids'
gluten-free activities (such as camps, etc.).)

Thank you to everyone who participated in this amazing project -- reading
the entries was inspiring and uplifting.
Danna
****************
Founder, Raising Our Celiac Kids (R.O.C.K.)
Author: "Wheat-Free, Worry-Free: The Art of Happy, Healthy, Gluten-Free
Living"
Author:  "Kids with Celiac Disease: A Family Guide to Raising Happy,
Healthy, Gluten-Free Children"
www.celiackids.com
www.GlutenFreedom.net

* Visit the Celiac Web Page at www.enabling.org/ia/celiac/index.html *