HAMPDEN – A team of third- and fourth-grade pupils from the George B. Weatherbee School in Hampden won the Destination ImagiNation State Competition in their category on April 3.

Bryce Arsenault, Courtney Dixon, Mackenzie Dunning, Julia Hidu, Caitlin Swalec and team manager Cora Swalec will represent Maine at the DI Global Finals in Knoxville from May 26 to 29.

Destination ImagiNation is a worldwide creative problem-solving competition for children. Teams of up to seven students select one of five challenges, the solution to which requires creativity, imagination, ingenuity, teamwork, resourcefulness and tenacity. The teams must also solve “secret” Instant Challenges that require lots of brainstorming.

The Weatherbee DI team chose the GuessDImate! Challenge and put many hours of hard work into their solution.

At the Regional DI Competition at Husson College on March 13, their 11-gram balsa-wood structure held 35 pounds. Three weeks later at the State DI Competition at the University of Maine, their modified structure weighed 14.79 grams and held 95 pounds.

Because their estimates of what the structures would hold were so accurate, they received an additional 200-pound bonus both times.

The pupils sewed costumes and designed scenery that earned them the highest scores for the style element of the challenge. During their eight-minute performance, Professor Estimate, his teenage daughter and dog attempt to make an army of evil gingerbread men. Their plan backfires when a giant gingerbread woman pops out of the oven.

Now the team members are facing a problem that they cannot solve by themselves. They need to raise $10,000 for transportation and registration expenses.

As a team they are working hard to raise the necessary funds from businesses, civic organizations and individuals. They have planned a variety of fund-raisers.

The team is selling $2 raffle tickets for a Longaberger basket with a maximum value of $300. Tickets may be purchased at the school or from the team 4-8 p.m. April 30 at Bangor Wal-Mart.

Benefit Days are being held at Borders on May 1 and 2, and May 18 at Uno Chicago Grill at the Bangor Mall. Must bring certificates available at the school.

Bottles and cans are being collected at Hampden Redemption, 274 Western Ave., and Tomcats Redemption, 109 Main Road South.

A celebration fund-raising dinner will be held June 21 at Oriental Jade. Tickets are $12 adults, $6 for children, and are available at the school.

Financial contributions are also appreciated. For more information, contact the Weatherbee School at 862-3254.

Weatherbee also sent teams to DI Global Finals in 1998, 2000 and 2002. Three of the 1998 team members – Amy Dumont, Lauren Hartz and Jennifer Swalec – are currently preparing to compete with the Hampden Academy Mock Trial Team at the 2004 National Championships in Orlando, Florida on May 6-9.