LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) — A young Allen County resident is competing on a national stage and needs community support to help him win a major prize.
Five-year-old Liam Delong, the son of Alison and Rob Delong, has been named a finalist in the Junior Ranger Champion Contest, which promotes a child’s love of wildlife and nature while building curiosity and confidence.
Liam is already an experienced young adventurer who enjoys exploring the outdoors and taking on new challenges.
“I hiked the rocks. I climbed them because they were, because when we were they were Devils Bridge there were more rocks. So I had to step on the rocks, the ones that didn't move,” said Liam Delong, Junior Ranger contestant.
Liam’s mother said she discovered the opportunity while planning a family trip.
“We booked a trip to go to the Badlands in August. So I got an email that said, check out this Junior Ranger page. The Junior Ranger page is a social media platform where they just promote wildlife conservation the national parks, little fun things and activities kids can do outdoors, so that way, they stay just more involved, and they're not looking at the world through their phone screen,” said Alison Malone Delong, Liam’s mother.
After learning about the contest through the platform, she entered Liam, who advanced to become a finalist. While the number of competitors is unclear, the contest winner will be determined by public votes.
To make voting easier, Liam’s family has created a QR code that directs supporters to his voting page. The contest offers a prize package that includes both financial and experiential rewards.
“If he wins, he gets $20,000 for his account. He gets to do a several day animal excursion with Jeff Corwin become a Junior Ranger for the parks department, and then also he gets to be featured in the national parks Ranger Rick Kids magazine,” Delong said.
Voting begins Monday, March 30, and will take place over several rounds, with the winner announced June 19. Supporters can vote once per day.
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