MONTICELLO- Catholic Charities of Orange, Sullivan & Ulster was pleased to return to an in-person awards ceremony at the Sullivan County Government Center for the 28th annual Substance Use Prevention Poster Contest. The annual contest, hosted in recognition of Alcohol Awareness Month, celebrates the creative and artistic talent of Sullivan County students while promoting an important message of prevention.
The theme for this year’s contest was “Life can be anything you make of it when choosing to be alcohol, tobacco, gambling, and drug free.” Sullivan County students are invited to submit original artwork illustrating their interpretation of the theme. The contest awards prizes for three different grade level categories, as well as English and Spanish language grand prizes. This year’s contest had 125 posters submitted for judging.
Two Tri-Valley High School 10th grade students earned the top prizes and took home awards of $250 each. Joselin Flores Galeos was the grand prize winner for her Spanish language poster and Ally Rogers was the grand prize winner in the English language category. Their winning posters are professionally printed and distributed to schools, businesses, and other organizations throughout Sullivan County for public display.
“We are grateful to the participating students, schools, art teachers, and businesses that make the poster contest a success each year,” said L.A. Branch, Catholic Charities Sullivan County Prevention Projects Coordinator. “The students take time to reflect on the theme and important issues such as addiction, substance use, and peer pressure. They express the message in a way that is meaningful to themselves and their peers. Our long-running contest highlights the benefits of prevention for youth of all ages.”
In addition to the grand prizes, first, second, and third prizes were awarded, and honorable mentions were recognized. This year, students participated from Benjamin Cosor Elementary (Fallsburg), Liberty High School, Roscoe Central School District, Tri-Valley High School, Sullivan West Central School District, and Sullivan County BOCES. Award categories were grades 1-4, 5-8, and 9-12, and the posters were judged by a team of community volunteers.
In addition to the grand prize winners, the following students received awards:
Grades 1-4
1st place – Alexandra Mann, grade 4, Benjamin Cosor Elementary School
2nd place – Taylin Frunzi, grade 4 – Benjamin Cosor Elementary School
3rd place – Desly Carcamo Bonilla, grade 3 – Benjamin Cosor Elementary School
Grades 5-8
1st place – Angelina Lara-Jones, grade 6 – Benjamin Cosor Elementary School
2nd place – Zhara Snead, grade 5 – Benjamin Cosor Elementary School
3rd place – Kaylie Price – grade 5 – Benjamin Cosor Elementary School
Grades 9-12
1st place – Carla Lara, grade 10 – Liberty High School
2nd place – Eden Noren, grade 10 – Tri-Valley High School
3rd place – Quinn Allen, grade 11 – Liberty High School
A total of $1,325 in prizes were awarded to the winners.
“The prevention message communicated by these posters continues to make a positive difference in the lives of our young people, the residents of Sullivan County, and the health of our community,” said Ms. Branch. “We’re thankful for the many contest participants and supporters who have helped us spread the word about a substance-free lifestyle for 28 years now.”
