SoCal student wins Christmas card contest

November 1, 2011 at 6:00 a.m. | Updated November 1, 2011 at 6:00 a.m.

Fifth-grader Nicholas Staats, 11, holds up a Christmas card Friday he designed for the Callaway Community Hospital. The hospital recently held a contest to see whose design it would use for the cards. Josh Staats, left, came to South Callaway Elementary School Friday morning to congratulate his son on winning the contest.
Fifth-grader Nicholas Staats, 11, holds up a Christmas card Friday he designed for the Callaway Community Hospital. The hospital recently held a contest to see whose design it would use for the cards. Josh Staats, left, came to South Callaway Elementary School Friday morning to congratulate his son on winning the contest.

Little did fifth-grader Nicholas Staats know when he sat down for his school's assembly Friday morning that he was in for a surprise.

After Corey Pontius, South Callaway Elementary School principal, welcomed students and announced the school's "homework heroes," he revealed that Staats was the winner of Callaway Community Hospital's recent Christmas card contest. Staats, 11, stood up and the whole school applauded his achievement as he was congratulated by two hospital staff members - Allen Aufderheide, CEO, and Nancy Terrell, administrative assistant.

Staats received a $100 prize and will have his design featured on the cards CCH sends out every Christmas to its staff, vendors and others that assist the hospital.

To help the tornado-stricken people of Dumas and surroundings, donations can be made to the Delta Area Disaster Relief Fund, care of the Delta Area Community Foundation, P.O. Box 894, Dumas, AR, 71639, or through the Arkansas Community Foundation, 700 S. Rock St., Little Rock, AR, 72202.