Peabody Fifth-Grader Wins $30,000 Cafeteria Makeover and $15,000 Cash Prize

There was a whole lot of excitement at the McCarthy Elementary School this morning, and one 11-year-old in particular could not stop grinning.

UNCLE BEN’S® Brand named 11-year-old Janie Wilson of Peabody, Mass. one of five grand prize winners of the Ben’s Beginners™ Cooking Contest.

“I’m feeling amazing,” Janie said right before the official announcement. Though Janie and her family knew she was a grand prize winner for a week, no one else did. The secret was announced on Tuesday morning at a school assembly. Uncle Ben’s company officials, local and state officials, and the entire school congratulated, applauded and took all the excitement in. When asked what Janie, who also happens to be the president of the school’s student government, said, ”I’m taking my family to Disney World, and then I’m saving the rest for college.”

The nationwide contest encourages children to make healthier meal choices by getting them interested in cooking at an early age.

Matthew Hurst, corporate affairs manager for Uncle Ben’s, asked for a show of hands of how many kids like to cook. Nearly every hand shot up.

“We’ve been blown away by the response we’ve seen,” Hurst said. The cooking contest is in its third year.

Janie. who attends the McCarthy Middle School in Peabody, was one of 25 finalists selected from hundreds of entrants in grades Kindergarten through eighth. Entrants submitted videos of themselves and their families preparing a rice-based dish and discussing their experience cooking together as part of the third annual cooking contest. Janie was selected as one of five grand prize winners and awarded with a $30,000 school cafeteria makeover, a $15,000 cash prize and a hometown celebration at Ariel with New York-based celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson.

The enthusiastic and proud school body kept erupting into chants of, Janie, Janie, Janie.”

Janie’s smile grew even wider when the celebrity chef popped out from behind a curtain to surprise her.

“Janie has been an avid cook in our family and is always in the kitchen,” said Julie Crocker-Wilson, Janie’s mom.

Janie and her mom went up on stage to accept the grand prize check.

“You have made this journey so amazing,” Crocker-Wilson said. “we want to thank the mayor for the billboards on the highway.”

Mayor Edward Bettencourt said the billboards would be changed to say, “Grand Prize Winner.” He also proclaimed today as Janie Crocker-Wilson Day in Peabody, as well as Uncle Ben’s Day. The mayor said the cooking contest turned into something far bigger than a cooking contest as news and the enthusiasm for Janie spread.

State representatives Leah Cole and Ted Speliotis joined in the fun this morning.

“Janie proved anything is possible,” Speliotis said. Cole said,” We are so proud of you.”

Janie’s mom and 8-year-old sister joined in her in the video. A friend made the girls matching Uncle Ben jackets jean jackets trimmed in orange to wear for the event.

“I want to thank everyone who voted,” Janie said. “I am just so amazed by all the support.”

On Sept. 15, Janie attended Uncle Ben’s Rice at the Ben’s Beginners Kickoff event at Sportello in Boston, hosted by celebrity chef Barbara Lynch. Janie assisted in making chicken rice meatball soup.

Janie entered the Uncle Ben’s Ben’s Beginners Cooking Contest for the second year in a row. Janie whipped up her Turkey Rice Chili for this year’s entry.

Watch Janie’s video here.

“It is very important to get kids in the kitchen at a young age and educate them on nutrition and how fun cooking healthy meals with their families can be,” said Lara McCauley, Vice President of Corporate Affairs, Mars Food North America, the parent company of the UNCLE BEN’S® Brand. “Through our Ben’s Beginners™ movement we are excited to know that we helped bring families together in the kitchen as well as at the dinner table.”

Video submissions were judged on and community voting played a significant role, according to the company. Voting took place from Oct. 15 through Oct. 29.

Grand prize winners have been announced so far in Florida, Kansas, Coplorado and today in Massachusetts. The final grand prize winner will be surprised later this week.

For more information on the contest, kid-friendly cooking tips and the winning recipes, visit www.unclebens.com.