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REEDERS BOY AMONG 10 CHOSEN NATIONWIDE FOR CONSTRUCTING SOPHISTICATED TOYS

Nick Matone, 10, of Reeders was selected as a K'NEXpert because of the skill and imagination he employed in creating several projects in a nationwide contest sponsored by the construction toy company.

REEDERS - 10-year-old Nick Matone is a whiz-kid in construction.
Nick, the son of Vincent and Fran Matone of Reeders, was recently rewarded for his skill in building elaborate toys by the toy manufacturer K'NEX.

The fourth-grade student at Monsignor McHugh School in Cresco, is one of only 10 official K'NEXperts in North America to serve on the K'NEXpert panel for 2001.

Nick and the nine other budding builders were selected from hundreds of contest entries in 2000 for their imagination and skill in building models with the K'NEX toys.

K'NEX kits allow youngsters to build sophisticated working models of vehicles, robots, buildings and other creations both real and fictional.

Kids may follow instructions for existing models or let their own imaginations run wild and create original designs.

"You can follow the directions or you can build whatever you want with them," said Nick.

The contest challenged children to submit photos of original K'NEX creations in four different categories: vehicles, buildings, household items and holiday items.

Nick has been working wonders with K'NEX since he received his first kit as a present on his fourth birthday.

The young builder used his imagination in the contest to build original K'NEX models of a motorized tow truck, a replica of the famous Seattle Space Needle, a life-sized model of a vacuum cleaner and an Easter Basket.

Photos of Nick and his winning creations are posted on the K'Nex web site: http://www.knex.com/

Nick and the nine other K'NEXperts will be given a tour of the K'NEX manufacturing facility in Hatfield.

Nick can't wait until April when he can see how the versatile building toys are made when his family tours the K'NEX plastics plant.

Nick will receive free K'NEX gear and new K'NEX products as well as a discount on K'NEX kits purchased online.

Nick will also be asked for input from the K'NEX company for new toys considered by the company and kits already on the market.

The young builder envisions a career as an astronaut building full-scale projects like space stations.

Fran believes her son inherited his superb building skills from his father, who is an electrical engineer.

"I couldn't make anything like that," Nick's mom said while pointing out her son's recent creation, a K'NEX astronaut training station simulating a host of outer space activities for miniature K'NEX men.

Nick has made several handy household projects with K'NEX including a chair for his room, a compact disc holder and a video cassette rack.

In addition to building new wonders with K'NEX, Nick also enjoys playing soccer, reading science-related books and electronics.

This article was originally published Monday, March 12, 2001 in the Pocono Record

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Copyright © March 12, 2001, Pocono Record

About K’NEX Brands

Founded in 1992, K’NEX Brands, the world’s most innovative construction toy company, was established to make and sell what has become one of the world’s leading integrated construction systems for children. Winner of over 200 international awards and recognitions, K’NEX is America’s building toy company focused on Building Worlds Kids Love, and encourages youngsters to “imagine, build and play.”  For more information, please visit www.knex.com.