By KATIE MCDOWELL / Lifestyles Editor

The Boys and Girls Club of Montevallo was selected as one of 12 finalists in “Projects for Great Futures,” an online voting contest sponsored by its national organization and Elmer’s.

Freda Shivers, director of the Boys and Girls Club of Montevallo, said the contest’s name is based on the national organization’s theme.

“We’ve never entered one of the national competitions before,” she said. “We submitted the photo and a few days later we found out we were in the top 12.”

Shivers said the club’s students created their project earlier in the year and decided to submit it when they heard about the contest. For the Montevallo projects, the students drew pictures. The pictures were displayed by grade and their future high school graduation – Class of 2022.

“We were just trying to subliminally send the message that you graduate,” Shivers said. “No matter what your future holds, you graduate.”

The Boys and Girls Club of America receives a dollar for every vote in the online contest. The winner of the contest will receive $1,000 in Elmer’s products and a $5,000 Walmart gift certificate.

Shivers said the community has been very supportive of the contest.

“There’s not an easier way to donate money than this,” she said. “It costs you nothing to vote.”

Shivers said about 95 students are enrolled in the Montevallo Boys and Girls Club. The students have marked each of the 12 finalists on a map at the organization.

“They’ve got little first, second and third place tags they keep moving around,” Shivers said.

Montevallo was in second place with 3,529 votes on Dec. 22. The Boys and Girls Club of Huntington County, Ind., was in first place with 4,442 votes. To vote, visit Greatfuture.org/elmers and select No. 5.