Out of all Northern California elementary schools, two Saratoga second-graders scored the top two spots in the creative sugar cube-sculpting contest. As the first-place winner, Rachel Leonard took home a $1,000 savings bond for herself and $500 for Foothill's art program. As the second-place winner, Jennifer Miller was awarded a $500 personal savings bond, and $250 was given to Foothill Elementary.

This was the first year that the well-known sugar company held an open art contest. The SugArt contest had been held in previous years, but only at state fairs and other small community outlets, says C&H product manager Vivienne Drimmer.

"We thought it was a great way to get kids involved with the brand. And I am a firm believer in doing things with building blocks and getting kids involved artistically," says Drimmer, who headed up the project.

Being the first year of the contest, Drimmer says C&H kept its sites small, focusing only on Northern California by posting information on the company website and sending packets to surrounding schools in January. With a deadline of May, the winners were announced to their schools in June.

Each entry was judged by a panel of six judges—comprised of teachers, C&H publicity representatives and staff, and a designer—on a scale of one to 10, taking into account originality, quality, aesthetic appeal, and the age of the student. The only rule was that the participants be between the ages of 5 and 13, and the sculptures could be decorated with materials other than sugar cubes.

"I thought it was very successful," Drimmer says. "We got some truly creative pieces on behalf of the children. Some were very simplistic in their design, but in terms of ideas, these kids took it to the next level. I was really pleased and surprised at what they could make with sugar cubes. It's just fun to see children working with art in different mediums."

C&H decided to award bond money to the entrants and their respective schools in order to encourage the schools' participation and to grab the attention of teachers and students alike.

The idea worked, as first-place winner Leonard can't wait to receive her bond money. "I'm going to save the money, but it will be hard," she says excitedly. Leonard was also happy money was going to her school.

"I like art. I'm not sure what my favorite type is, but any type I really like. I usually just paint."

Leonard's winning entry was of a bright green alligator, inspired by seeing one in the waters of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and then in a park in Florida. "I'm really scared of alligators, but I like them," she says. "It was fun."

With help from her parents, the alligator was finished in just one night. "She drew out a picture of what she was thinking of, and for some reason it just stuck," Tracy Leonard says. "It is very exciting that she won. I was shocked. We've never won anything before, so this is a really big deal for us."

Second-place winner Miller created a vividly colored mermaid, with sugar cubes highlighting her outfit, hair and the ocean floor. "My mom always says I swim like a mermaid," Miller says. "I really like to swim, so that's what I wanted to make."

Like Leonard, who was in her second-grade class, Miller enjoys art tremendously. "I like to paint, draw and make necklaces and bracelets," she says. "I thought it was fun."

Miller's mother, Julie, says her daughter swims year-round and was easily inspired by her hobby for the contest. The pair spent one day working on the sculpture and turned it in to the school for submission the following day. "It's very exciting," Julie says. "I'm really proud of her."

Visit http://www.chsugar.com for information on the next SugArt competition, to take place in the fall.