This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Elayna Saley walked into a Salt Lake City McDonald's on Wednesday thinking she was going to enjoy an after-school party. Instead, the 8-year-old learned that she had won a trip to London to see the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Elayna, a student at Salt Lake City's Dillworth Elementary, is one of two grand-prize winners of the Happy Meal Chefs Contest. In addition to watching U.S. athletes go for gold, Elayna will get a second trip to McDonald's headquarters in Illinois, where she will work with executive chef Dan Courdeaut to help him create new healthy items for the Happy Meal.
More than two dozen people gathered at the McDonald's at 2310 E. 2100 South for the surprise announcement. When Elayna realized she was the reason, a shy smile grew on her face and her cheeks turned a rosy red. The smile kept growing as she also was awarded a camera and an autograph from U.S. Olympic gold medal gymnast Shawn Johnson. After the announcement, one of the contest judges, U.S. Olympic swimming champion Dara Torres, congratulated Elayna via Skype.
Elayna has been cooking with her father, Chad Saley, for about two years. While she loves experimenting in the kitchen, she doesn't see herself becoming a chef. She said she wants to be "a veterinarian or a professional soccer player."
For the national contest, children ages 8 to 11 and a parent were asked to submit a short video depicting how they make mealtime fun while making healthy choices. The video shows Elayna and Chad Saley working in the kitchen with a 1950s-diner theme. Elayna acts as a waitress, displaying the nutritious menu she created. She talks about her family's "secret ingredient" game. Every meal has a healthy secret ingredient that the rest of the family tries to guess.
"The secret ingredient gets them thinking about what's in the food," Chad Saley said. "A secret ingredient could be fun for the Happy Meal."