Arts & Entertainment
Finishing First in Meijer Miler T-Shirt Contest
Fifth-grader Allison Eccarius' design chosen to adorn the T-shirt worn at this year's Harvest Days kids race.
Walkers Grove Elementary School fifth-grader Allison Eccarius may not have crossed the finish line first, but she made a win out of her run all the same.
The 10-year-old's original artwork came in first in the "Design a Shirt Contest." Her handiwork will be on display on the T-shirt for the Meijer Miler kids race at the annual Plainfield Harvest 5K, being held Sept. 26.
Inspiration for the design came from the joy of finishing last year's dash, Allison said. Colored pencils and crayons brought her thrill to life.
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"I felt really good when I crossed the finish line, so I knew I wanted to draw that," she said.
Allison's still thinking about what she will buy with her $25 gift card from Meijer.
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Allison's parents are Doug and Jenny Eccarius, and she has a younger brother, Doug Jr., who is 8.
Her favorite class is P.E. and, although the school year just started, she can't wait to get to junior high next year, she says. Allison is an ice-skating buff. She fell in love with it when she started taking lessons a few months ago and says her favorite part is "learning the tricks."
The Meijer Miler is a race for children 6 and older; it begins at 8:15 a.m. Sept. 26 at the Village Green, Des Plaines and Chicago streets, a block south of Lockport Street.
