Sibs in ‘bubble-wrap’ finals

Joe and Halle Redfearn, siblings from Thurston Middle School, are two of 15 student inventors from around the country who are finalists for the crown of Top Inventor in the third annual Bubble Wrap Competition for Young Inventors.

Sealed Air Corporation, the creator of Bubble Wrap cushioning and sponsor of the annual competition, announced the names of the 15 semifinalists whose inventions most impressed the judges out of more than 2,000 entries.

Halle Redfearn, 11, invented the “Catipod,” a collapsible, portable canopy developed to temporarily shield the homeless from outdoor elements. Her brother, Joe Redfearn, 13, created the “Pop Pocket,” an insulated sleeve designed to help keep canned drinks cold at the beach.

The Bubble Wrap Competition for Young Inventors encourages students in grades 5 through 8 to demonstrate their ingenuity by designing an invention incorporating the use of Bubble Wrap brand cushioning for the chance to win a grand prize of a $10,000 savings bond.

Young inventors were invited to submit inventions along with a visual and written description that included the name of the invention, the purpose it serves, how it works and how the idea was formulated.

The semi-finalists will vie for a spot as one of three finalists who will be announced in early January. The finalists will be flown to New York City, along with a family member, for a three-day trip, where the grand prize winner will be announced on Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day, Jan. 26.

The second- and third-place winners will receive $5,000 and $3,000 U.S. savings bonds, respectively. The teacher/mentor of each finalist will receive a $500 gift card.

CINDY FRAZIER is city editor of the Coastline Pilot. She can be contacted at (949) 494-2087 or cindy.frazier@latimes.com.