SOUTH HAVEN--Last fall, classrooms from throughout West Michigan entered the Friends Good Will ‘Name the Classroom’ Contest to assign a name to the classroom on the Michigan Maritime Museum historic replica tall ship. “We received many creative entries. It was difficult to choose only one,” states Sally Householder, Assistant Director at the Museum. After much deliberation, ‘Perry’s Prize’ was selected to designate the space. The name was inspired by the entry from Martha Kazmierczak’s fifth grade class at Central Elementary in White Pigeon. Perry’s Prize officially opened with a press conference on May 17, when Mrs. Kazmierczak’s fifth grade students took an all expenses-paid tour and voyage on Lake Michigan aboard Friends Good Will. Perry’s Prize is now the name of the below-deck space where children learn about sailing and the history of the original Friends Good Will and her role in the War of 1812. The name is derived from Commodore Oliver Perry and the definitions of the word prize - “something seized by force or taken as booty, especially, an enemy ship and cargo captured at sea during wartime; something offered or won as an award for superiority or excellence in competition with others; something worth striving for; a highly desirable possession.” “This name is a perfect description of our classroom, our educational program, and our ship,” adds Householder. All classes who participated in the contest received Friends Good Will stickers. Two runner-up classes were also chosen, Sue Graving’s third grade class at Starr Elementary in Plainwell and Joseph Miller’s third grade class at Ottawa Elementary in Buchanan. Students in the runner-up classes received Friends Good Will t-shirts and books for their school and classroom libraries. The contest to name the classroom was conceived by long-time donors Linda and Michael Winkel and their daughters, Emily and Katherine. The Winkels’ generous donation to the $2 million Capital Campaign for Friends Good Will gave them the honor of naming the below-deck interpretive space. Michael Winkel is a Museum Trustee and was a member of the fundraising team for the tall ship campaign. “Education is a high priority for our family, which is why we supported the Museum’s plan to build and operate Friends Good Will,” he states. “When the naming of the classroom became a reality, we decided to engage children to help us find the right name for the educational space.” The Michigan Maritime Museum is home to Friends Good Will, substantial exhibit galleries, a boat building shop, a collection of small craft and marine motors, a large collection of maritime artifacts, a Great Lakes Research Library, and the Lightkeeper’s House. Its mission is to promote and interpret the history and culture of Michigan’s Great Lakes. For more information call (269) 637-8078 or visit our website at www.MichiganMaritimeMuseum.org. Caption: Museum Docents with students in the Perry’s Prize Classroom aboard Friends Good Will.
