Jonathan Holderfield entered this picture of his daughter playing in her baby pool this summer, and won the $1,000 grand prize in the Iwanna Summer Fun Photo Contest.
By Jordan Parker
Jonathan Holderfield was driving to work when he spotted the words “Photo Contest” on the billboard outside of IWANNA’s office on Sweeten Creek Road.
“I didn’t think much of it at the time, but a few days later my wife Lisa showed me a picture of Kali she had taken,” Jonathan said. “It was such a good photo of our daughter Kali, that I knew we had to enter it!”
Kali is four years old with a condition that has stumped doctors so far. The Holderfields have been back and forth to Duke Hospital in order to find out all they can about Kali’s disorder. They have yet to find an exact answer.
“We are very hopeful, and she’s already improved so much since getting treatments,” Jonathan said. Kali is now walking short distances and even climbing stairs.
Lisa took the winning photo while Kali was splashing and playing in her baby pool on a hot afternoon this summer.
“This picture really shows Kali’s beautiful, happy spirit,” Jonathan said. “Because of her condition, she doesn’t smile too much, so catching this moment means a lot to us.”
After entering the photo at Iwanna.com’s Contest Central, they checked their progress on the contest website every evening — telling family, friends, and co-workers to vote for them.
“It was really exciting to see the votes add up each day,” Jonathan said. “At first, we thought our chances were looking pretty good, but as other people’s photos started pouring in, it seemed that our chances of winning were pretty slim.”
Once Lisa found out their photo had won, she called Jonathan immediately with the good news. “To be honest, I was kind of shocked we had actually won – it was such a wonderful surprise hearing those words!”
As for the $1000 grand prize, Jonathan said that all the money will go towards Kali’s doctor visits.
“Our trips to Duke really add up, and there are times when we have to stay overnight,” he said. “So with gas, hotel stays, and food, on top of medical costs, winning this money sure does help a lot!”
Jonathan, Lisa, and Kali will be heading back to Duke in October for the results of Kali’s muscle biopsy, and are hoping for some definite answers.
“We just want to provide Kali a good home and a happy life,” Jonathan said. “Having her photo win out of hundreds makes us pretty sure that Kali has a few guardian angels watching out for her.”
You can see all 250 pictures entered in the contest at www.iwanna.com/summerfun.
You can enter other contests — including the latest “Win Tickets to Santa’s Land” — at Iwanna Contest Central.