Friday, November 11, 2005

By Emily Walsh, PR Intern

Wilmington, N.C. - A University of North Carolina Wilmington student was awarded $500 for her children’s story McDaniel Farms and the Ice Cream Cow. The story was submitted in a contest sponsored by Nathan Sanders, a UNCW alumnus and owner of McDaniel Farms Creamery and Restaurant.

Lisa DuChene, a UNCW junior majoring in English, learned about the contest from her roommate, who is a creative writing major. She says she forgot about it until the night before the story was due. “I was just watching TV when something in my head told me to just go ahead and write something, just for fun. I wrote the story that night and sent it right to Mr. Sanders. He e-mailed me a few days later asking me to call him about the contest, and he told me that I won. I admit, I was completely shocked and of course excited.”

Sanders says he was looking for a story that conveyed “the McDaniel farm feeling,” which he describes as, “a family environment - one that is clean and fresh, and appeals to children, parents and grandparents.”

Sanders graduated from UNCW in 1976, earning a bachelor’s degree in fine arts. A Wilmington resident, Sanders is a member of the Chancellor’s Club, an organization that honors the university’s most generous donors. He has one daughter, Tara, and a grandson, Nathan.

Sanders plans to turn McDaniel Farms and the Ice Cream Cow into a coloring book. A contest to find a UNCW student artist to illustrate the book is in progress.

“There’s a lot of talent at UNCW. I’ve had great success working with various programs at the school,” Sanders said. “I had high expectations, and all of them were met.”

Marla Rice-Evans, UNCW Associate Vice Chancellor for University Advancement, says, “It is great when our alumni come back to their alma mater and support not only the institution, but also its students who are future alumni.”

In addition to the prize money, DuChene profited from the writing contest in another way, she is now employed as a food server at the restaurant.

McDaniel Farm Creamery and Restaurant opened in late summer 2004 and is located across from UNCW at 614 S. College Road. For more information, please visit the Web site www.mcdanielfarms.com.

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