Have you ever had to keep a secret for six months? How about Spokane’s most highly guarded secret? Senior Andrew Nordhagen did just that from last November to May this year, when the Lilac Bloomsday Association revealed its 2021 finisher t-shirt design -- one created by Nordhagen, a Gonzaga Prep senior.

At the urging of his mom, Ari, he submitted a design in October. He found out in November that he’d won, and was sworn to secrecy until May 2.  “That day, they called me and asked, are you free at 2:30? Come to the corner of Riverside and Monroe. When I showed up, they were hanging a 40-foot banner with my design.”

And that’s how Nordhagen’s family learned he was winner of the t-shirt design. He’d told his mom to be sure to record the TV news that day. When she tuned in, the first news item was the big reveal. “I saw the huge banner behind the reporter and I recognized the art!” She had no idea Andrew had driven downtown all the way from their North Spokane farm. “I was jumping up and down and screaming at the television,” she said. 

Andrew learned about the contest from a Facebook post Ari had shared with him last fall and he set to work on a design using his iPad. “I wanted to include the 45 since it’s the 45th running of the race, and I wanted to include the quintessential Spokane landmarks” including the Monroe Street Bridge and the Pavilion. The progression of the design starts with a rough sketch and finishes with a complete, polished design. “The only thing they changed was the colors,” he said.

Nordhagen says his design is especially relevant in the midst of the pandemic. “Because Bloomsday was a virtual global event again this year, people will run all over the world, but this shirt still ties it to Spokane.” In recognition of the virtual, global nature of the race now, Bloomsday has in fact rebranded itself Bloomsday Worldwide. So far, this year’s race includes finishers from more than 20 countries and has surpassed the 22,000-finisher mark. And of course, the Nordhagen family is among those who crossed the finish line. “We’ve run the race every year since we moved here in 2015,” he said.

Stanford-bound Nordhagen’s accomplishment is the latest in a growing pile of accolades that include an impressive perfect score on the ACT, National Merit Scholarship Award winner, Spokane Scholar in math, and Class of 2021 Valedictorian. “This accomplishment (the Bloomsday shirt) is special because it is one of those things that etches his artistic contribution permanently into Spokane's history,” said Ari.

Adds Andrew, “It’s a huge honor to be part of a Spokane’s longest-running public event … pun intended.”