ANAHEIM, CA - (January 5, 2010) - Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle has announced the winners and their winning ideas in The Great Anaheim Apps Challenge, an innovative online contest which challenged the public to share their best mobile and Web-based apps ideas.  More than 800 apps ideas were received from across the country during the contest, which was the first of its kind on the West Coast open to the general public as opposed to professional developers. 

“The Great Anaheim Apps Challenge was a tremendous success,” said Mayor Pringle.  “Many of the winning ideas will be developed into apps that will be made available to the public.  We are pleased that so many people in Anaheim and across the nation chose to participate and give us the benefit of their creativity.”

The Great Anaheim Apps Challenge featured five categories:  Water & Power, Parks & Recreation, Public Safety, Tourism / Sports / Entertainment, and Anything Anaheim.  The contest ran from Sept. 29 – Nov. 30, 2009, and ideas were submitted from 12 states and 94 cities. 

The winning ideas included an Anaheim job hunt search engine, an online recreational facility reservation form, a Neighborhood Watch connection, an app to find kid-friendly activities in Anaheim, and an account status app for water and electricity usage.  A list of the first, second and third place winners and their ideas is below.  The complete list, including honorable mentions, is posted at www.anaheimapps.org. 

Mayor Pringle, along with his Mayor’s Technology Advisory Committee and a selected judging panel, carefully evaluated each entry and chose the first, second and third place winners in each of the five categories.  The top 15 winners were recognized last evening by Mayor Pringle at the Anaheim White House Restaurant’s Centennial Celebration.  Contest winners, including honorable mentions, will be awarded more than $5,000 in cash and gift prizes. 

Water & Power:
Kit Thongdyxay – Account Status App
John Swindler – Water Saver
Brock Christoval – Green Power App

Parks & Recreation:
Jessica Bradshaw – Online Reservation Rec Form
Carolyn Bryant – Get Me There on a Bike
Jeffrey Adler – Field Finder

Public Safety:
Theresa Khedrian – The Neighborhood Watch Connected
Melissa Soeltz – Attendance App
John Swindler – Stamp Out Graffiti and Vandalism

Tourism/Spots/Entertainment:
Michael Baker – Kid Friendly Anaheim
Mary Lou Parisi – What’s Up Today?
Mei-Lin Quinn – Routes and Parking

Anything Anaheim:
Frank Borzilleri – Anaheim Job Hunt Search Engine
Andrea Manes – Where Can I Help?
Wendy Hart – Anaheim’s Top 10

The Great Anaheim Apps Challenge was co-sponsored by Anaheim Public Utilities and The Disneyland Resort®.  Complete contest information can be found at www.AnaheimApps.org.

Media Contact: Ruth Ruiz 714.765.5060more city news

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ABOUT ANAHEIM – The City of Anaheim, founded in 1857, is one of the nation's premier municipalities and is one of California's most populous cities. Anaheim covers 50 square miles with more than 343,000 residents and more than 2,950 City employees. The municipal corporation's annual budget is $1.5 billion. Anaheim supports a thriving business community with companies such as Carl Karcher Enterprises, Inc., L-3 Communications, Pacific Sunwear, and Disneyland Resort. Successful sports franchises call Anaheim home, including Angels Baseball, Anaheim Ducks, the U.S. Men's National Volleyball Team, the 2012 Olympic Games Silver Medal winning U.S. Women's National Volleyball Team, and the Professional Arena Soccer League Anaheim Bolts. Anaheim also boasts world-class meeting and entertainment venues with the Anaheim Convention Center, LEED-certified and the largest on the west coast, Honda Center, City National Grove of Anaheim, Anaheim GardenWalk, and Angel Stadium of Anaheim. In addition, Anaheim embraces its vibrant cultural arts community, including the world-renowned Anaheim Ballet. Annually, Anaheim welcomes millions of visitors to the city, truly making it where the world comes to live, work and play. For more information, please visit www.anaheim.net.

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