Two junior homebuilders, 12-year-old Colin and 9-year old Tyson, swept both categories last week in the Greater Iowa City Area Home Builders Association’s (HBA) Lego Parade of Homes contest.
The pair won top place – and two $50 gift cards to Bread Garden Market – for winning both the “Building Excellence” and “Creative Description” categories, besting 36 other competitors for the top prizes.
Lego Parade of Homes sponsor Great Western Bank judged the Lego homes alongside representatives from Iowa City Area HBA Parade of Homes presenting co-sponsors Hills Bank and Urban Acres Real Estate.
The first-place creative description reads: “This amazing house has four bedrooms, a three-car garage, and plenty more cool features. The house comes fully furnished and everything in this house is eco-friendly and many things are made from recycled plastic. Each bedroom has a desk with a computer and its own bathroom with a shower. Down below the house is a private beach perfect for relaxing in the sun or having fun.”
The entry also includes “a beautiful greenhouse” atop the home “that produces a lot of food (the house comes with robots that handle all the greenhouse work) and offers spectacular views. The dining room has a large kitchen with robots that can cook almost anything and the eating room has large windows that show off the snow capped mountains in the distance.”
The Lego parade’s purpose was to provide kids a fun, creative activity that relates to careers in home building. Entries were submitted May 17 – 31 and a full list of winners is available here.
“Great Western Bank supports the Lego competition because it helps bring kids interest in building to the forefront,” said Melissa Schooley, Eastern Iowa president of Commercial Banking at Great Western Bank and Iowa City Area HBA first vice president. “We hope that spark ignites as they grow up. Education in building at a young age will benefit the HBA and community in the future.”
All 36 entries from kids aged 17 and younger can be viewed at iowacityhomes.thegazette.com and the public can vote for their Lego favorites through 5 p.m. June 20 by clicking on the home of their choice. The Lego Parade of Homes People’s Choice Award winner will be announced June 30 on Facebook and Instagram @icareahba. Consumers may also vote for their favorite real parade homes via the ParadeSmart app through June 25.
