Murrieta girl winner in essay contest

By: CRAIG SHULTZ - Staff Writer | Thursday, July 12, 2007 7:43 PM PDT ∞

MURRIETA -- If there is a contest with a prize to be won, there is a good chance the Shappie family of Murrieta will enter.

Mom Trisha has shared her addiction for sweepstakes with her husband and three daughters, and it has paid of.

Claire Shappie, 11, was the winner in her age group in the third annual "Help Santa Find the Perfect Real Christmas Tree" contest, sponsored by the National Christmas Tree Association.

Children ages 6 to 18 took a picture with their real Christmas tree during the 2006 holiday season and wrote a story about why the tree was special to them.

Claire described her family's annual hunt for the perfect tree at Wickard Farms in Wildomar. But last year, she wanted to sponsor two girls from the "Giving Tree" program that her school, Temecula Valley Charter School, was putting on.

Her mom asked her what she would give up to be able to afford gifts for the girls, and Claire said they didn't have to buy a tree. Then, the Friday before Christmas, a fresh Christmas tree was left on the Shappies' doorstep.

Claire, who is secretary at her school helped to get children "adopted" at Christmas. She said she was motivated when she saw a need for more giving.

"When we went ... to deliver presents, all they had was one room (with gifts)," Claire said.

"She loves Christmas," Trisha Shappie said. "But she said she'd give up a Christmas tree to adopt another child."

Trisha said the family recently learned the tree was left on their doorstep by David Keen, a June graduate of Linfield Christian High School, who was a classmate of one of Claire's sisters.

Claire won the choice of a $5,000 scholarship or a trip for four to Orlando, Fla. While her first inclination was to visit Mickey Mouse, Claire said she will save the money for college. She hopes to attend Seattle Pacific University on a gymnastics scholarship, she said.

Claire found out she won while on a cruise to Hawaii her mother had won in a supermarket sweepstakes.

"I'm a little bit obsessed," Trisha said of entering contests.

Claire previously earned a runner-up prize in a conservation contest sponsored by the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C. She dressed in a leotard, taped Tupperware to her body and wore her lunch box on her head as the waste-free lunch super hero, based on a lesson she had in school encouraging students to pack waste-free lunches.

After receiving her photograph, the zoo sent her a box of items having to do with conservation, including a journal made from "recycled Panda poop," her mom said.

To read Claire's essay and those of other winners of the Christmas tree contest, visit www.realchristmastrees.org.

First name only. Comments including last names, contact addresses, e-mail addresses or phone numbers will be deleted. Attempts to misrepresent your identity or impersonate any person will not be approved. All comments are screened before they appear online, so please keep them brief. Comments reflect the views of those commenting and not necessarily those of the North County Times or its staff writers. Click here to view additional comment policies.