Photo by Sam Yu Rebecca Marker, left, 8, and Reilly Caldwell, 9, were finalists in The Washington Post’s annual Holiday Wrapping Paper Contest.

Reilly Caldwell, 9, a fourth-grader at Middletown Elementary School, won the online readers poll and got her picture on the front page of the Post's Weekend section, but the best news came later. Both Reilly and Rebecca Marker, 8, a North Frederick Elementary third-grader, received invitations to Tuesday's Inaugural Youth Ball, part of the People's Inaugural Ball project, sponsored by The Stafford Foundation.

"I think anybody would be thrilled to be involved in something like this," said Reilly's mom, Sarah Caldwell. "She may never have an opportunity to go an inaugural ball again. At nine, to be a part of something like this is just fabulous. Later in life, she'll understand the specialness of it."

Reilly's design showed smiling Maryland blue crabs in Santa Claus hats and Christmas presents wrapped in green and red, all on brown paper.

When Reilly learned she had won the contest, she realized it meant her photo would be on the front of the Weekend section.

"I entered last year in the wrapping contest, and I saw the winner and his picture on the cover," Reilly said. "I was shocked, speechless."

Reilly didn't know inaugural balls were a big deal before her invitation, she said, but now she's excited to be going to the Youth Ball. She said she would have voted for Barack Obama "if I could have."

Julie Marker said that her daughter was inspired to enter the holiday wrapping contest by her grandmother, Charlotte Marker, who "was beside herself" when she heard Rebecca was a finalist.

All the finalists, as well as their artwork, was featured in a Washington Post photo shoot at the Newseum and an online slideshow.

"To have two Frederick County girls among the finalists is remarkable, I think," Julie Marker said. "Kudos to the Frederick County schools art departments."

Rebecca's design featured "rows and rows" of uniquely wrapped, colorful presents.

Both girls have picked out gowns. Rebecca is borrowing from an older cousin. She and her mom only needed to shop for shoes and accessories. Reilly had a new dress from a recent piano recital.

"We're very excited about Obama being elected," said Julie Marker. "My kids go to diverse schools and don't see color, but I've explained to them why this election -- this inauguration -- is significant. It's significant to me, and as a parent, I'm thrilled for Rebecca.

"I think when she's in high school, and older, she'll look back and realize how fortunate she was to be a part of it," she said.