More than 500 students from Westchester County participated in this year's Drug Prevention and Stop-DWI poster and essay contests, and the winners have been announced. Madeline G. Zarro, a 6th grader from the Anne M. Dorner Middle School in Ossining, is the grand prize winner.
Madeline will be given a $500 U.S. Savings Bond and her poster will be duplicated and used as the official Drug Prevention and STOP-DWI poster for Westchester County this year. View her poster and the other 2010 Winning STOP DWI posters. Read the full list of essay and poster winners.
She and the other winners will be honored at a reception Friday hosted by County Executive Robert P. Astorino.
Other winning students in the poster contest are from Yonkers, Ossining, Mohegan Lake, Yorktown, White Plains, North Salem, Croton-on-Hudson and Tuckahoe.
The Office of Drug Prevention and STOP-DWI, in conjunction with the Elks Association, once again sponsored this year's essay contest, which like the poster contest addressed the issues of drugs and alcohol abuse and making healthy choices. More than 35 middle and high school students participated and the top winners were Ariana Innabi of St. Anthony's School in Yonkers, Melissa Motieram of St. Peter's School of Yonkers and Kaitlyn Ramirez of Hendrick Hudson High School in Croton-on-Hudson.
Contest participants used their creative powers to draw or write about the perils of drugs and alcohol use and the importance of making healthy choices to lead positive and productive lives.
"The quality of the work by the students was impressive," said Astorino "It is so important that students understand the dangers of drugs and alcohol and the importance of making positive and healthy choices. I congratulate these talented students who have helped get the message out across the county."
The prizes are savings bonds ranging from $500 for the overall grand prize to $50, depending on the place in the various age categories: high school, middle school and elementary school. All those who entered either contest have been sent a certificate of merit.
The Drug Prevention and STOP-DWI Poster and Essay contests are open to all Westchester students, grades K-12 and highlighted the theme of staying safe by refusing drugs and alcohol and the importance of choosing positive role models with particular emphasis on the need to make healthy choices for a positive and productive life. They were judged on their originality, clarity, presentation and message against drugs and DWI.
Seven judges from the Westchester community chose the winning posters from entries throughout the county. The winning entries are also entered in the Elks statewide contest.