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Young movie buff wins big for the Mail Tribune / Buffy Pollock Tyler Freader, 8, gives Central Point Elementary School Principal Hal Oxner a big hug Friday after learning he�s won an all-expenses-paid trip to Universal Studios in Florida. The prize is perfect for Tyler, who�s been a movie buff all his young life. Second-grader�s name is drawn for trip to Universal By Buffy Pollock CENTRAL POINT � As Tyler Freader sat surrounded by more than 350 students Friday in the Central Point Elementary School gymnasium, the second-grader had no idea why his parents had shown up for a school assembly. As Principal Hal Oxner announced to the crowd there were prizes to be given out for a fund-raiser contest, Tyler still had no idea. The 8-year-old boy, known to his teachers and friends as "that little boy who wants to make movies when he grows up," had yet to realize he was in for the surprise of his life. "But first," Oxner said to the excited crowd, "I want you all to think back to last year. We did a magazine fund-raiser where we turned in names of our family and friends to buy magazines to raise money for our school. Those of you who participated had your names entered into a national drawing to win a prize." By the time Oxner reminded everyone the prize was a trip to Nickelodeon Studios at Universal in Orlando, Fla., no one was sitting still. Some were twisting their fingers and making funny faces. Others were praying. Tyler just looked up at his dad and shook his head. He seemed sure his name would not be called. Then Oxner said, "I want you all to give a big round of applause for Tyler Freader." Tyler�s name had been chosen from more than 500,000 other contestants across the country by QSP, a division of Reader�s Digest. Tyler�s mother, Kristi Freader, who was told about the prize a few weeks ago, said she couldn�t believe Tyler had won. And she couldn�t believe how perfect the prize was for her son. Freader said her son has always been intrigued by how movies were made. "Every time we watch a movie, he wants to know how they do everything," she said. Tyler spent his summer reading �The Life of Steven Spielberg" and doing re-enactments of his favorite movies and videos for his family � complete with special effects and homemade movie tickets. Freader said when Tyler was 5, he told his doctor during a checkup he wanted to be movie director when he grew up. "It�s just uncanny that a kid who wants to make movies would win something like this," Oxner said. Tyler�s prize pays all expenses for a family of four. Tyler has a brother and two sisters, but his parents say everyone will get to go. The family has until September 2001 to make the trip, and Tyler will receive a five-hour VIP tour at "Nick Studios." "Oh my gosh, this is cool! This is so cool," said Tyler. Southern Oregon QSP representative Shawn Vinto said Tyler�s winning was a surprise to everyone. Vinto, who has been with QSP for five years, said neither he nor his father, who�s worked for QSP for 25 years, have met a winner of the biannual drawing. Tyler said he couldn�t believe he�d won, either. "I couldn�t believe they called my name. He was sayin� someone that was here was the winner and I looked at my dad and shook my head �cuz I knew it wasn�t gonna be me and then they called my name. I can�t believe they called my name. I just can�t believe it." Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.