A vivid green, multi-armed caterpillar has prevailed in the 2005 CC! Akron mascot contest. Out of over 500 designs submitted by K-8 students in a three-county area, judges selected the creation of eight-grader James Hicks: an eye-catching figure with the Six Pillars of Character on its folds.

CC! Akron has made the design into a full costume, available for use at festivals, public events and schools throughout the region. "We are developing skits that can be done in 10-15 minute segments with the mascot," says CC! coordinator Inda Blatch-Geib.

CC! Akron will use finalist Zachariah Szabo’s design along with the mascot in promotional print work. The efforts of other semifinalists will appear in the new edition of the CC! Akron Activity Book in August, 2005. Each finalist received a $100 savings bond, and each semi-finalist a $50 bond.

Now another contest is underway to name the mascot.

Acme Fresh Markets is the sponsor of both contests. Acme announced the first one on 100,000 grocery bags, printed additional entry forms to use in schools, and helped with further promotion. Acme has a strong CC! component, training all employees in CC! during orientation and having them sign a character contract.

Other CC! groups across the country can also order the caterpillar costume. It costs about $1,500.00 -- "very reasonable for a mascot," according to Ms. Blatch-Geib. The costume is washable and the mascot actor can wear it with a cold pack to reduce the heat. The address of the maker is: Akron Design & Costume Co., 3425 Manchester Rd. Akron, OH 44319 tel: 330-644-0425, fax: 330-644-7425. The firm's web address is: www.akrondesign.com