The Gap for most may be just another store in the mall, but for one Valencia family the company is giving them an opportunity of a lifetime.
Jessica Bedrinana, 31, submitted a photo of her 21-month-old son Leonardo to the Gap Casting Call contest earlier this year, and that photo was chosen by a panel of judges to be in the top 20.
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"It was shocking and I didn't really believe it at first," Bedrinana remarked on the announcement that Leonardo was a finalist. "When they told us it [the contest] was out of 900,000 kids it was like winning the lottery, it's exciting."
Gap judges narrowed down the list from 900,000 applicants to only 20, which are split into four categories, boys ages 4 and under and 5 to 10, and girls ages 4 and under and 5 to 10.
Leonardo and the other finalists were flown to San Francisco where they were treated to a professional photo shoot with Gap photographers, and those photos are then put to a vote on www.gapcastingcall.com.
The five children with the most votes on December 21 will be crowned the winners; however the final announcement of winners won't be released until February 4, 2010.
The Gap Casting Call is a nationwide contest that chooses the faces of both Gap Kids and Baby Gap for the 2010 season.