Ozone Park girl wins Atlas Park Carousel Contest

Samantha Kerr, 9, of Ozone Park won a six-week long contest which asked children to design their dream carousel horse from a sketch in The Queens Courier. Her entry will be created out of ceramic (clay) and placed in front of the Atlas Park carousel ride.
“Four judges said it was their favorite from hundreds of entrees,” said Dave Kerpen, the spokesperson for Atlas Park. He went on to say that the contest drew about 300 entrees. Contestants had to not only color and design the carousel horse, but then each entry had to be hand delivered to the hospitality desk at Atlas Park. Judges then decided on a winner based upon originality, creativity and the overall theme of the design.
Horse submissions also had to be named and Kerr named hers “Sammy.” She said that she gave her that name because it was short for her own name, Samantha. “It’s easy to remember, that’s why I named her Sammy,” said Kerr.
When asked about her specific design Kerr spoke about the color choices she made on the outline sketch. “I wanted to pick a good color that would stand out and catch people’s eyes,” said Kerr about the primary magenta color of the horse’s skin.
Kerr who is in 3rd grade at P.S. 232 plans to use her winnings this summer and ride the carousel, free, numerous times, at least until June 29. After that, the carousel will be replaced by miniature golf, until next year.
The mall plans to hold the contest yearly and to create a ring of winning ceramic horses to place around the ride. The contest ran from April 3 through May 9.
Riding the carousel costs $2 on weekdays and $4 on weekends. For every $25 spent at the mall with a verified receipt, riders get $1 off. The carousel is open from noon until 8 p.m. and is in front of Pasticcio and Les Shoes Elys/es.