Destination ImagiNation® Marks 25th Anniversary

KNOXVILLE, Tenn., May 23, 2008

GAS PRICES, DOWN ECONOMY DON’T AFFECT RECORD TURNOUT
AT DESTINATION IMAGINATION’S PROBLEM SOLVING COMPETITION

“When we think about the kids, everything else is secondary”

KNOXVILLE, TN – Soaring gas prices. Travel hassles. Bad weather. A housing recession. Security issues. A down economy.

With all of those negatives weighing down on American families, why was there a world record attendance of more than 18,000 parents and children at Destination ImagiNation’s international problem solving competition for kids in Knoxville this week?

A record 1,038 competitive teams of young people traveled to DI’s Global Finals from 46 U.S. states, two provinces in Canada and 12 foreign countries, including China, Korea, Singapore, Mexico, South America and Europe. They are taking part in the world’s largest creative problem solving program, competing in a dozen different categories of planned and extemporaneous extreme challenges for all ages. Competition started on Wednesday and ends with a gala awards ceremony on Saturday night.
C.D.Venkatesh, whose teams traveled from Portland, Ore., put it this way: “When we think about the kids, everything else is secondary.”

An informal poll of DI team managers and parents revealed that most believe the annual trip to Global Finals is not discretionary spending for their teams and families, but an important investment in the education and development of the youth for whom they are responsible.

“It is an integral part of their education,” said Jennifer Lamb, from Pickering Ontario. “It builds confidence, teamwork and social skills. What they do for the kids here is awesome.”

“I thought with all of the economy and everything, maybe we wouldn’t go,” said Connie Faust, from Alliance, OH. “I did, but the girls were totally confident, and in two days, they had four fundraisers. We wanted to prove to the school board that DI is valuable.”

“Kids don’t read the business section,” quipped Roger Garriock, a Destination ImagiNation Inc. vice president who traveled to Knoxville from Vancouver, British Columbia with his wife’s DI teams. “The DI kids are taught there is a solution for everything.”

Several teams and families have planned extended vacations in the resorts, state parks and other attractions in east Tennessee, with one family saving money by camping out (their favorite pastime) in a local state park.

“For the kids, you very often will defy logic,” commented Elyse Wolfe from Millburn, NJ. “They won the right to go to Globals, and you could not not send them.”

Tracy Hamson of Claremont, NH, said that the economy “worried us a lot,” so she and her teams designed a two-week educational program around Global Finals in which they keep journals, visit and study interesting and historic places like Mammoth Cave, Cumberland Park, The Great Smoky Mountains and Gettysburg. “After all, we are creative problem solvers,” she said.

Destination Imagination Inc., the world’s largest creative problem solving program for all ages and corporate teams, is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2008. For more information, visit www.globalfinals.org or www.destinationimagination.org.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Michelle Griffith, michelle@clearviewcom.com, 813-597-8189.

Andy Bowen, President
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