ALEXANDER, NY- Kids have wild imaginations, and now one local teen's crazy idea might just make him a quarter million dollars richer. That's why Andrew Young, Jr., is "WNY's Great Kid."
Alexander Central Schools Tech Teacher Bob Hollwedel says Andrew Young, Jr., is one of his star pupils.
"You can just tell the gears are turning. He's like our middle school prodigy for the tech area," said Mr. Hallwedel.
So it wasn't surprising when Andrew took the initiative to enter a nationwide invention contest.
"I was watching TV and I saw it on the Ellen Show, so I tried submitting a couple ideas," said Andrew.
One of those ideas stood out among 13,000 other submissions.
"It's the Toaster Shooter and it shoots toast out onto your plate so you don't have to reach in there and burn yourself," he said. "I was at my grandma's house and she burned herself when she was trying to get the toast out, so I thought of it there."
Frito-Lay called to say they were flying the Young family out to Texas for the Dreamvention contest and that's where he learned he was one of five finalists and won $10,000. His parents were stunned because he didn't tell them he invented anything.
"I tell my kids sometimes you make good decisions and bad decisions, even small ones that can make a huge difference in your life. Well, this is one where he took the initiative, and he went and made it happen and look where we are today," said Andrew's dad, Andrew Young, Sr.
Now Andrew is using social media to rally online votes to come out on top. The winner of the Dreamvention contest wins a $250,000 prize. It's certainly the talk of the small town of Alexander.
"We have had great support from this small community," said Denise Young, Andrew's mother.
Win or lose, Andrew's inspiring others around him to dream big.
"He is the catalyst to have others try something different that they may never do," said Mr. Hallwedel.
You can vote through November 27th once a day, every day, from every device you own. Vote by clicking here.
Hopefully the City of Good Neighbors will rally around this Great Kid to help him win the Dreamvention contest and take home a quarter million dollars.
Learn more about the Dreamvention contest by clicking here.