December 18, 2007

Attorney General Corbett announces winners of "Drug-Free" Calendar Contest 

HARRISBURG -Attorney General Tom Corbett today announced the winners of the Attorney General's 2008 "Drug-Free" Calendar Contest.

Each year, fifth-grade students from across Pennsylvania are encouraged to create an original work of art illustrating a drug-free message of their choice.  The 13 winners represent each month of the 2008 calendar year and a Grand Prize winner, who has his artwork displayed on the calendar's cover.
 
This year, the winners were chosen from a competitive field of over 600 entries from schools throughout 58 Pennsylvania counties. The winners were chosen based on the artists' creativity and ability to illustrate and convey a drug-free message.

"Forty-four percent of all middle-schoolers have personally seen illegal drugs used or sold and other students drunk or high on school property," Corbett said. "This contest is one way to help educate students about drug use prevention and living a drug-free life."
 
During the ceremony, Corbett presented each of the winners with certificates of achievement and savings bonds. The Grand Prize winner received a $500 U.S. Savings Bond and each of the other 12 winners received a $200 U.S. Savings Bond.

Corbett congratulated the following students who were named the 2008 "Drug-Free" Calendar Contest Winners:

As part of the Attorney General's outreach efforts, "Legal Eye the Firefly" was included in this year's calendar. Legal Eye is an integral part of the drug-free message and appears throughout the calendar with tips and "did you know" facts for each month.  He also accompanies the other educational outreach programs to schools, such as the Attorney General's Operation Safe Surf initiative and "Truth & Choices" anti-drug education program.

The Truth & Choices program is geared for middle and high school students and is available free of charge to schools throughout the state.

To see more of Legal Eye and to learn more about other programs available to schools and parents, visit the Attorney General's website at www.attorneygeneral.gov. There are three specialized areas on the site -Just 4 Kids, Parent Information, and the School & Educator Resource Center. The kids' site is divided into grade levels and features interactive learning games and activities for each age group on a variety of subjects.

"I not only want to congratulate the winners of this year's calendar contest, but I want to commend every student who participated in the contest," Corbett said. "Each student who entered a drawing should be proud of themselves, and each one is a winner for saying no to drugs, alcohol and tobacco."

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