Annual Bubble Wrap Invention Competition Announces Semi-Finalists

Fifteen student inventors from around the country are now one pop closer to earning the coveted crown of Top Inventor in the third annual Bubble Wrap Competition for Young Inventors. Sealed Air Corporation, the creator of Bubble Wrap brand cushioning and sponsor of the annual competition, today announced the names of the 15 semi-finalists whose inventions most impressed the judges out of more than two thousand entries.

The Bubble Wrap Competition for Young Inventors encourages U.S. students in grades 5 through 8 to demonstrate their ingenuity by designing an invention incorporating the use of Bubble Wrap brand cushioning for the chance to win a grand prize of a $10,000 savings bond. Young inventors were invited to submit original inventions along with a visual and written description that included the name of the invention, the purpose it serves, how it works and how the idea was formulated.

The 15 semi-finalists will vie for a spot as one of three finalists that will be announced in early January 2009. The finalists will be flown to New York City, along with a family member, for a three-day trip, where the grand prize winner will be announced on Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day (January 26, 2009).

The Grand Prize Winner of the competition will receive a $10,000 U.S. savings bond, while the second and third place winners will receive $5,000 and $3,000 U.S. savings bonds, respectively. The teacher/mentor of each finalist will receive a $500 gift card.

 This year's 15 semi-finalists are as follows:

  * Meredith Bush, 12, Panama City Beach, FL - "Accu-Meds" - A portable,
    customizable chart that helps people keep track of their multiple
    medication intake schedules.

  * Kayleen Casey, 12, Springfield, OR - "Audio Base Detector" - A portable
    tool to assist the deaf by enabling them to feel sound vibrations.

  * Corianne Cha, 13, North Brunswick, NJ - "Stroke Rehabilitation Color
    Chart" - A chart that helps stroke survivors gauge their recovering
    strength and helps guide their rehabilitation progress.

  * Tucker Haas, 11, Charlotte, NC - "My Personal Swing Thing" - A swing for
    children with movement disorders that provides adjustable back and neck
    support using different amounts of Bubble Wrap(R) brand cushioning.

  * Carver Hass, 10, Sheboygan, WI - "Bubble Lamp" - A modern-style,
    decorative floor lamp created using Bubble Wrap(R) brand cushioning and
    other recycled materials.

  * Kellan Horner, 12, Lenexa, KS - "Stop World Hunger" - A hydroponic green
    house that enables people to grow plants without soil.

  * Nathan Huber, 14, St. Peter, MN - "Bubble Learning" - An interchangeable
    flash card system to help make learning fun for children.

  * Joey Ikuss, 13, North Brunswick, NJ - "The Bubble Gripper" - A device
    designed to aid people in grabbing hard-to-reach, delicate items from
    high places.

  * Mason Kellett, 12, San Diego, CA - "Pitch Tracker" - A device that
    enables young baseball pitchers to track their proficiency in throwing
    strikes.

  * Jose Lopez, 11, Tucson, AZ - "Warm House" - An insulated bird house
    designed to keep birds and their eggs warm during the cold season.

  * Jared Mann, 11, Christiansburg, VA - "Pop-Up Solar Cooker Book" - A
    portable, solar-powered stove that can be used as a grill or an oven.

  * Halle Redfearn, 11, Laguna Beach, CA - "Catipod" - A collapsible,
    portable canopy developed to temporarily shield the homeless from
    outdoor elements.

  * Joe Redfearn, 13, Laguna Beach, CA - "Pop Pocket" - A unique portable
    insulated sleeve designed to help keep canned drinks cold at the beach.

  * Erin Swager, 13, Maineville, OH - "Pop Tech" - An educational tool that
    teaches young children numbers and shapes by asking them to replicate
    their forms in popped Bubble Wrap(R) brand cushioning.

  * Andrew Teesdale, 10, Sherwood, OR - "Bubble Wrap(R) Emergency
    Shelter" - A lightweight, miniature tent designed to provide emergency
    shelter to disaster relief victims.

"Once again, the young people in this year's competition have taken ingenuity and inventiveness to a new level, and Sealed Air is once again proud to have Bubble Wrap brand cushioning serve as the catalyst for such an inspiring display of thoughtful creativity," stated William V. Hickey, Sealed Air's President and Chief Executive Officer. "We look forward to bringing the three finalists to New York in January and announcing the Grand Prize Winner on national Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day."

The Bubble Wrap Competition for Young Inventors is administered in conjunction with the National Museum of Education and all submitted entries were judged based on their originality, creativity and practicality, as well as their benefit to society, marketability and overall presentation. This year's competition attracted more than 2,200 entries from 40 states, with entries that included everything from a holiday tree skirt and jewelry to a sanitary hand guard for escalators and a punching bag.

Last year's winner, Hannah Haas, 13, of Charlotte, North Carolina earned the Grand Prize for her creation entitled "Sensory Wallpaper", which used Bubble Wrap brand as wallpaper designed to stimulate, engage and comfort children afflicted with autism. Nicolette Mann, 13, of Christiansburg, Virginia, earned second place for her multiple flying kite kit; and Max Wallack, 11, of Natick, Massachusetts, won third place for his adjustable wrist cushion designed to help alleviate and prevent carpal tunnel syndrome.

Source: Sealed Air