Gap Announces Top 20 Casting Call Finalists From More Than 800,000 Entries

Gap announced the top 20 finalists in its nationwide search for the next faces of babyGap and GapKids. Gap is teaming up with KODAK Gallery, the leading online photo service, to find the most adorable, charming and personality-filled children to be the next babyGap and GapKids models.

The finalists -- 10 babies (ages four and under) and 10 kids (ages five to 12) -- were selected from more than 800,000 entries. The 20 finalists will be flown to San Francisco to participate in a Gap photo shoot and will receive additional prizes, including special gifts from babyGap, GapKids, KODAK Gallery and O, The Oprah Magazine.

Baby Girl Finalists:

- Kenadi from Dakota Dunes, South Dakota already loves the spotlight. Her favorite thing to do is sing and dance into her play microphone.

- Liyah from New York, New York just might be the next big name in fashion. She loves to play dress up and has her sister model her princess designs down the catwalk in their living room.

- Margaret (Maggie) from Valparaiso, Indiana loves to listen to the Doodlebops while eating macaroni and cheese.

- Marley from San Francisco, California is an opportunist to her core: a spoon has never been more fun, the shower curtain can entertain her for hours, and she believes the family dog, Zoey, is full of magic.

- Whitney from Los Gatos, California never forgets to pack strawberries to snack on while enjoying story time at her hometown Library.

Baby Boy Finalists:

- Cameron from Bordentown, New Jersey likes to live in the fast lane. He rides his motorcycle and quad all around the neighborhood while belting out tunes from Hurricane Chris.

- Dylan from El Dorado Hills, California is a magician in training. He can turn his face and hair red if you give him a bowl of pasta with tomato sauce.

- Frederick from Cape Coral, Florida is a dancing machine at the ripe old age of two. He likes to break dance to Soulja Boy’s “Crank That,” while enjoying his favorite pastime, fishing.

- Matthew from Collierville, Tennessee likes to snuggle up on the couch with his two furry friends, his dogs Marley and Bailey.

- Parker from Saint Cloud, Minnesota is a budding explorer. He loves to play in the tunnels at his local McDonalds.

Kid Girl Finalists:

- Aubrey from Richmond, Texas has a passion for fashion and loves to shop at the mall. She is always on the move bouncing around between cheerleading, dance class and gymnastics.

- Elizabeth from Urbana, Ohio never misses a good football game. She makes sure she is always home in time to cheer on her favorite team, the Ohio State Buckeyes.

- Karson from Benson, North Carolina is an aspiring teacher who clogs her way to Kenly North Carolina every weekend to catch the late model racing teams.

- Maya from Salt Lake City, Utah is a mischievous five year-old with a sophisticated palette. She loves to eat sushi and crab legs while practicing her Spanish at the dinner table.

- Samantha from Clayton, North Carolina is her sister’s number one fan. She never misses a chance to cheer on her big sis from the sidelines at her soccer games.

Kid Boy Finalists:

- Elijah from Bronx, New York hopes to become a veterinarian when he’s older. He discovered his passion for helping animals while watching his favorite movie, “Madagascar.”

- Jaron from Port Neches, Texas likes to be in the driver’s seat. He is a thrill seeker who loves racing on his bike to the local park.

- Jordan from New Britain, Connecticut has an active imagination. He likes to open books and make up his own story by just looking at the pictures.

- Kyle from Ridgewood, New Jersey is a great athlete. He can ride a mean wave on his skateboard and also has his own football team with his two brothers.

- Sullivan from Corpus Christi, Texas has dreams of becoming a NASCAR driver. He practices driving daily from the couch in his family room.

“We’re absolutely blown away by the response to our Casting Call contest this year,” said Pam Wallack, president of babyGap and GapKids. “With hundreds of thousands of fantastic submissions, it was extremely difficult to narrow down all of the entries to a small group of finalists. We can’t wait to see who America chooses to be the next faces of babyGap and GapKids.”

It’s Now Up to America to Choose the Winners
Starting today through December 15, 2007, people across the country can log onto http://www.gap.com/castingcall to view each of these finalists and place their vote. At the end of the voting period, the four children with the most votes in each of the categories will be named the winners of this year’s Casting Call.

Each winner will be featured in the windows of babyGap and GapKids stores nationwide early next year. They’ll also receive other prizes, including an appearance on the Rachael Ray show, a year’s supply of babyGap or GapKids clothing, and a KODAK digital camera prize pack.

Be sure to tune in to the Rachael Ray show on January 28, 2008, as Rachael joins Gap for the unveiling of the Gap Casting Call winners!