Six year old Piper King's lighter take on a classic sandwich could win her family and Edgewood Elementary School thousands of dollars.
The first grader has been selected as one of the top 25 finalists in the UNCLE BEN'S® Brand Ben's Beginners™ Cooking Contest. If Piper is one of the five grand prize winners, which will be partially determined by public vote, her family will receive $15,000 and Edgewood gets a $30,000 cafeteria makeover.
"She said she's going to give everybody in the school a dollar, and if there's some left over, then she's going to give some to her teachers, and then she'd take the rest," laughed Piper's father, T.J. King.
In reality, the family would use the money for future college expenses, current debts, charitable donations, home improvement costs and other daily expenses, since the Kings are currently living on a single-family income while Piper's mom, Rebecca, a veteran medic of the Army Reserves, is in nursing school.
As part of the competition, the Kings had to submit a three-minute video that featured their child - with parental help as needed - cooking a healthier family meal with Uncle Ben's rice. The contest was open to students from kindergarten to eighth grade.
"What started as a fun family video project has turned into a real shot at winning," T.J. said.
The King family video features a six-year-old's version of charm and wit, complete with adorable giggles when she stumbles over words like "Worcestershire."
"A friend asked [Piper] how she felt, and she said, 'I feel like myself.' She seems to be playing it cool," her dad said.
Piper's video co-stars her little brother, Atticus, with special appearances by T.J. and Rebecca.
"We hoped that Piper's personality would shine through and win hearts," T.J. added.
The strategy seems to have worked. After a two-week voting period against an estimated 250 other submissions, Piper made it to the top 25 finalists. The recipe submission, "Piper's Extra Sloppy Joes" is made with chicken and Uncle Ben's rice rather than ground beef.
"They're yummy to eat and easy to make," Piper said in the video.
T.J. added that Piper isn't unfamiliar with the kitchen. She's often helped him crack eggs and assisted Rebecca in baking home-made cakes, but since making the video, her curiosity has increased.
"It's been sort of a catalyst. She's becoming more and more interested in what's going into food," T.J. said.
Final voting is open through November 30. Ballots can be cast once during a 24-hour period. To view the video and to vote for Piper, visit www.voteforpiper.com. The grand prize winners will be announced between November 30 and December 18.
For more information on the Ben's Beginners™ Cooking Contest, visit www.unclebens.com/ben's-beginners.
Reach Dawn Nolan at dawn.nolan@wvgazette.com, 304-348-1230 or follow @DawnNolanWV on Twitter.