FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: News Editors (400 words)
Kids Kick Off Webby Postcard Campaign
When David (9) and Perry (7) heard that their Mum's Web site was competing against NASA for an international award, they
wanted to help, so they designed an emailable postcard which has now become a part of SciTechDaily.com's Virtual Kiwi
Vote campaign.
The postcard shows a space-suited Kiwi on the Moon waving the New Zealand flag as a NASA Lunar Module lands in second
place. It's been a surprise hit on the SciTechDaily.com site which has a growing collection of items relating to the
public vote race in the Sixth Annual Webby Awards.
"Lots of people have been using the postcard to let people know about our attempt to get the country to vote for us in
the publicly voted People's Voice award. It's great to be the first New Zealand-based site to be nominated for a Webby,
and it would be wonderful if we were the first one to win," says Managing Editor and mother Vicki Hyde.
The postcards are being sent worldwide, and have helped boost the Web site's vote to 33%. The Kiwi effort needs another
8% in votes to overtake NASA and, with a steady 1% gain in votes every day and eight days to go until the public vote
closes, it's going to be a nail-biting finish.
Hyde was surprised at how seriously her sons have been taking the campaign.
"It was a bit worrying to see how much marketing-speak Perry had in his Current Events report for school!"
The seven-year-old's report, carefully typed out on the home computer, ran:
"My mum & dad were nominated for "Webby Oscars" against Nasa! If you have a E-mail address PLEASE go to
http://www.scitechdaily.com/kiwivote.There is a postcard of a Kiwi beating Nasa to the moon!!! If you go to
http://www.scitechdaily.com you can print out this picture & you might find more! Who has a E-mail address? This afternoon or another you can go to that website & type in your E-mail address. It's as easy as that. If we win I might bring the prize to school."
The Hyde family are keeping their fingers crossed that the Webby Award - which looks like a bedspring - will be showing
up at Redcliffs Primary some time after June 18, when the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences announce
the winners at a glittering event in San Francisco.
*********
Contact: Vicki Hyde vicki@spis.co.nz Tel: (03) 384-5137
The postcard can be seen at http://SciTechDaily.com/spis/postcard.htm
A photo (Web and print versions) of David and Perry with their artwork is available at http://SciTechDaily.com/webbypr.htm
More info at http://SciTechDaily.com/kiwivote
*********