Sisters win first and fifth in contest

The had two inventions place in the top five.
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
WASHINGTON -- As the sixth- through second-place winners of the 2006 National Invention Showcase were announced at the National Press Club on Wednesday, Julia and Caroline LaRoche nudged each other in anticipation.
One of their two inventions that had made it to the round of six finalists -- an herbal parasite remedy called Flea Tea -- had not been called.
Which could only mean one thing: That big cardboard, first-place check for $20,000 at the front of the room belonged to them.
"It was a surprise," Julia, 18, of Farmville, Va., said of taking home the top prize. The sisters' other entry, a pet house called the Doggy Den/Kitty Cave, came in fifth.
Caroline, 16, echoed her sentiment: "We didn't really expect to win, but it's really exciting."
The contest, hosted by the Electronic Retailing Association, a trade group for companies that sell products directly to consumers, was open to the 250,000 nationwide members of the Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda.
The contest
In addition to the $20,000 grand prize, checks of $2,500 were awarded to the second-, third- and fourth-place winners. Koeppel Direct, a company specializing in product marketing, sponsored the contest.
Peter Koeppel, founder and president of Koeppel Direct, said the goal of the showcase is to expose students to the process of inventing a product and to foster the growth of ideas. The innovation that goes into developing new products, Koeppel said, is open to all ages.
For the LaRoche sisters, the impetus for that innovation came from their cat, Priscilla. They had used a commercial shampoo to wash her, but ran into a problem: The shampoo made Priscilla's hair fall out.
The solution? Flea Tea, a bag of herbs and minerals that act as gentle, natural flea repellants. A provisional patent for the product is pending.