Hayden D’Amours is the winner of the 2025 Walden Winter Carnival button contest.
The Grade 6 student at Walden Public School saw his design chosen out of 400 submissions to appear on the button for the 52nd annual Walden Winter Carnival, which runs Feb. 6-9, 2025.
Hayden’s design shows the carnival’s polar bear mascot, Wally, having fun skiing at Lively Ski Hill.
“It’s been the toughest decision so far,” says Katie Ambeau-Parent, who is chairing the carnival’s organizing committee for the first time this year. “We received over 400 submissions from local schoolchildren and their entries were just amazing. In the end we just fell in love with Hayden’s drawing and are so proud to put it on this year’s button!”
Some 5,000 buttons with Hayden’s design will be sold for the event. The $5 buttons provide admittance to most Carnival events.
“There are so many talented artists among our area students we wish we could share all the entries with the community,” said Ambeau-Parent. "In the past we posted all the submissions, but thanks to our partnerships with local schools we are going to have a hard time finding enough wall space."
Organizers said the theme of this year’s contest aims to draw attention to the Lively Ski Hill. Carnival organizers and local volunteers have teamed up to keep the hill running.
The press release from the carnival organizers quotes Ali Catherwood of the Lively Ski Hill Planning Committee talking about the effort to drum up usage at the ski hill.
“Our mission as a committee is to bring as many people as possible to the Lively Ski Hill, sharing the joy of skiing and fostering a sense of community,” she said. “Wally at the Lively Ski Hill on this year’s carnival button is a wonderful reminder to come out and support the hill, helping it thrive for years to come.”
Walden Winter Carnival Buttons go on sale at Lively and area retailers starting Jan. 4, 2025. They will also be available at the carnival itself.