The winners of a 2010 photo competition visited Cayman in what they termed the trip of a lifetime.

Kari Thirsk and family, of Nashville, Tennessee, stayed at Grand Cayman Marriott Resort for a week in a Summer Splash vacation after winning the grand prize in the Protector of the Environment photo competition. It encouraged participants to submit photos that depicted their efforts to protect the environment, and the Thirsks won after young Anna showed how recycling was part of their lives.

“Our family likes to recycle, buy items from locally grown farms at our local farmer’s market, take public transit when it is available and clean up our community, whenever it is needed,” said Mrs. Thirsk, who thanked the Department of Tourism.

“This trip allowed our children to realise the importance of protecting the environment and keeping the marine life safe by keeping our ocean waters clean.

“The education and experience they were able to have from our trip to the Cayman Islands was one they will never forget. We have travelled a lot and have never experienced anything like Stingray City. My children are three and five years old and they are the only one of their friends that can say that they swam with stingrays”

The Summer Splash promotion features the Cayman Islands Sea School, where kids learn about marine life and conservation. They also have the chance to meet SpongeBob SquarePants. The family-focused promotion featured offers for kids to eat, stay and play for free from 15 May to 6 September.