Third grader wins tagline contest for new local business
Katie Ciavola, a third-grader at Lake Oconee Academy (LOA) in Greensboro, submitted the winning entry for a tagline contest sponsored by Greensboro’s soon-to-open Sprouts Market. In return for her original submission, “Stop and Savor the Local Flavor,” Ciavola received special recognition from Sprouts owners Chuck and Helen McGregor, as well as a Kindle Touch. Her slogan will become the official tagline of the market that will open this spring.
Conner Strickland, an LOA fourth-grader, earned second place for his “A Taste of the Local Life” tagline, while Ryan Lombard, another fourth-grader, snapped up third prize after submitting, “We got it growin’ on!” Both Strickland and Lombard were awarded free movie passes to Spotlight Theater.
“We were in need of a clever business tagline. Kids are so creative, so we thought it would be fun to challenge students to come up with something that would work and award a Kindle to the winner,” said Chuck McGregor. “We were blown away by the tremendous response.”
The McGregors received 182 entries to the contest, each of which they personally reviewed in order to determine a winner.
“The creativity the students displayed was absolutely jaw-dropping. We were looking for a fun, simple, memorable tagline that would really capture the essence of our business, and the students really delivered,” said Helen McGregor. “It was an extremely difficult decision, but we feel that ‘Stop and Savor the Local Flavor’ really speaks to our mission, which is to highlight the amazing bounty of fresh and delicious food that is grown and produced locally. “
In addition to the top three student submissions, the McGregors also selected seven other student taglines for potential future use on Sprouts marketing materials, such as T-shirts and posters. Among the recognized students: Logan Fedelem (third grade), Kyliah Lockhart (third grade), Will Cubic (first grade), Sydney Horton (sixth grade), Emma Dent (fifth grade), Blakely Vollmer (second grade) and Gianluca Corrias (first grade). All ten of the selected students received a certificate of recognition from Sprouts Market.
Given the success of the contest, the McGregors plan to seek out more opportunities where local community groups, area schools and organizations can get involved with the market.
“Sprouts will highlight products from local farmers and producers, but we’re looking to be more than just a food market,” said Chuck McGregor. “We want to help support the local community, and our hope is that the community will be actively involved in helping to shape the future direction of the store.”
Sprouts Market will combine the freshness of a farmer’s market with the convenience of a grocery store. The market is partnering with Georgia farmers and producers to bring the best variety of locally-grown, sustainably-raised food under one roof, including meat and poultry, dairy and cheese, artisan bread and baked goods, fruits and vegetables. The market will also be offering healthy self-serve lunch options and a cozy cafe area where people can truly “Stop and Savor the Local Flavor.”
Sprouts is located in the Village Park Shopping Center next to Fishtales and across from Lakeside Church. The store will be open Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.