Duo ready to have a Blast

Matthew Elliot and Somer Froud won trips to Baltimore through the Hope4Life Contest.

The contest was co-sponsored by David Bascome’s Hope4Life Foundation and the Bermuda Sun.

Young people were encouraged to answer questions from David’s column with weekly winners winning a $25 gift certificate to Island Hi Eatery. All the weekly winners were put into a draw with two trips being awarded.

Somer said: “I’m actually very excited. I’ve never been on one of these trips before and I didn’t think I would win.”

The package includes a trip to the aquarium and tickets to a Baltimore Blast indoor soccer game.

Somer said she is most excited at ‘being able to run out on the field with David. I’ve never been to an indoor soccer game before and I didn’t think this chance would come so once it did I’m very excited.”

She’s interested in football and plays midfield striker for BHS and is a Manchester United fan.

Matthew said “it’s really cool to win”. He started playing the Hope4Life Contest “because my mom said it would be really fun and I thought it would be cool if I got to go to Baltimore”.

Matthew plays defender for one of the Devonshire Colts youth teams.

His favourite English teams are Chelsea and Sheffield Wednesday.

“My dad cheers for Sheffield Wednesday and all my family cheers for them so basically I have no choice but to cheer for them.”

David says he was ecstatic about the response to the contest.

“The key is to reading the columns. I will continue to talk about making sure there is a positive message across to young people. I will continue to talk about young people being critical thinkers. It means a lot about bringing them into my circle in a professional environment.

“We’re going to have so much fun with them but it’s also going to be an educational experience.

“It was very impressive how many times some of these young people put their entries in to win the contest.

“It’s really amazing. Thanks to the parents for giving the young people the encouragement to enter.”

David said last week he was stopped at the gas station and one of the parents asked him about the winners.