Finalists announced for Orlando's 67 Days of Smiles contest

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Orlando’s 67 Days of Smiles finalists were revealed today by the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau (Orlando CVB). The finalists are vying for a $25,000 job spending 67 Days in Orlando experiencing all of the attractions offered in the renowned land of theme parks and alligators, and sharing their daily adventures with a global audience via social media outlets and media interviews.

After receiving hundreds of submissions from more than a dozen countries, the Orlando CVB has invited the top ten finalist pairs to spend July 26 to 28 in Orlando for 67 action-packed hours of “dry-run” experiences complete with roller coaster rides and adventure and cultural activities, along with personality tests and personal interviews in an effort to determine which pair will ultimately be selected for this once-in-a-lifetime assignment.

“We were overwhelmed by the creativity and engaging personalities of the pairs that submitted applications for this incredible opportunity. It was a challenge to narrow the field to our 10 finalist pairs, said Orlando CVB President and CEO Gary Sain. “Now we’re excited to meet the finalists in-person and watch how they depict their personal experiences with Orlando to the world.”

The Finalists for 67 Days of Smiles are:

April Bonilla and Melissa Casey – Friends from Dania Beach, Fla. who consider this their last big adventure before April gets married and moves to Memphis.

Clayton and Michael Derricott – Brothers from Fort Macleod, Alberta, Canada. Clayton is in construction; Michael works in banking and both are avid hockey fans.

Kate Fitzpatrick and Darren Symons –Couple from Melbourne, Australia that most recently lived in London, England. Darren is a teacher; Kate works in Communications.

Tyler and Lindsay Key – Husband & wife team from Charlotte, N.C. Tyler works in Marketing; Lindsay is an office manager for an IT company. Both are Florida State graduates.

Rommy Kopp and Tanja Hoehn – Cousins who were raised together in Germany. One now lives in Orlando, while the other calls Zwickau, Germany home. Tanja is a student studying foreign languages; Rommy works in hospitality.

Renee McGibbon and Nabavi Oliver – Friends from New York City that originally met in Orlando. Renee is a graphic designer and former Orlando Magic intern; Nabavi is a lawyer.

Bryce and Brendan Plank – Brothers from Chula Vista, Calif. who split their time working in hospitality and as online media producers.

Kyle Post and Stacey Doornbos – Childhood friends originally from Holland, Mich. and now living in New York City. Kyle is a Broadway performer; Stacey works with children in East Harlem.

Justin Vilardi and Shannon Waitekus – Friends from Palm Harbor, Fla. Justin is a musician and “manny,” while Shannon works as a kindergarten teacher.

Kyle and Trina Wullschleger – Newlyweds from Omaha, Neb; Kyle is an independent video producer and social media consultant. Trina works as an independent hairstylist.

Each finalist pair will share their Orlando Boot Camp experiences with the world through their personal Twitter and blog accounts. Go to VisitOrlando.com/67DaysofSmiles to learn more about each pair and get links to their personal Twitter accounts and blogs. Many of the finalists have posted their creative video entries on their blogs.

The winning pair will be announced in early August and will begin their 67 Days of Smiles in Orlando on Aug. 27. The pair will live in a two-bedroom condo in Downtown Orlando, compliments of Historic Creations Design Development, design/developer of Star Tower Condominium. For their 67 day assignment, they will also be given cell phones, digital video and still cameras, a Dollar Rent A Car and $25,000 to cover living expenses back home. The attraction experiences will include everything from rollercoaster riding to hang gliding, swimming with dolphins, spa-ing, golfing, gator wrestling, museum exploring, theatre-going, dining and more.

For real time updates follow Orlando on Twitter at Twitter.com/VisitOrlando or become a fan of 67 Days of Smiles on Facebook.

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