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Youth's art to grace park passes

by JIM MANN/Daily Inter Lake
| May 28, 2013 9:00 PM

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<p>Glacier High School senior Valarie Kittle's drawing of Lake McDonald Lodge with be on the 2014 Glacier National Park annual park pass. May 28, 2013 in Kalispell, Montana. (Patrick Cote/Daily Inter Lake)</p>

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<p>Glacier High School senior Valarie Kittle's drawing of Lake McDonald Lodge with be on the 2014 Glacier National Park annual park pass. May 28, 2013 in Kalispell, Montana. (Patrick Cote/Daily Inter Lake)</p>

A drawing of Lake McDonald Lodge by Valarie Kittle, a senior at Glacier High School, turned out to be the winning image that will appear on Glacier National Park season passes this year.

Kittle was announced as the contest winner Wednesday at the high school. Also recognized were second- and third-place entries from Glacier students Isabella Ridgeway and Rosalie Tozer, respectively.

Denise Germann, Glacier’s public affairs specialist, said about 20 entries were submitted for the contest by students from local schools, and most of the entries came from Glacier High.

The theme for the contest was for participants to recognize the 100th anniversaries, in 2014, of three iconic structures in the park — Lake McDonald Lodge, Sperry Chalet and Granite Park Chalet.

Kittle said she chose Lake McDonald Lodge because it is the only lodge out of the three that she has visited. She returned to the lodge earlier this year to take pictures of it to prepare her entry.

Kittle’s art will appear on about 14,000 passes that are typically sold each year.

“It was really surprising” to learn that, said Kittle, who plans to pursue a teaching degree at Portland State University after graduation. “I didn’t think about the number of people who get those passes.”

The contest, in its second year, was organized by park staff and Wendy Hill, executive director of products and retail sales for the Glacier National Park Conservancy.

“Through this art contest, we are creating future stewards, future caretakers to the park, to help ensure the longevity of this national treasure,” Hill said. “And it’s quite an honor to have your art displayed on the annual park pass.”

The Glacier National Park Conservancy is an official partner of Glacier National Park. The conservancy’s goal is to generate financial support for the park through private fundraising, philanthropic activities and operation of bookstores within the park.