The Coalition for Alcohol and Drug Awareness is kicking off its annual Video and Poster contest for awareness of Drug and Alcohol abuse, with the final date to submit a poster or video on March 15 at 5:00 p.m., and the award ceremony on March 29. This will be the sixth annual year for the contest and the third year Melissa Ranieri, Deputy Health Agent for the town of Walpole, has helped with the contest.
“The Video and Poster contest is a great way to have our Walpole school age students participate in a contest that promotes a substance free life by living drug free,” says Ranieri.
Walpole has had numerous chemical health violations in the past, including an epidemic in which a recent graduating class has had multiple heroin overdoses. This contest reaches out to students at a young age and promotes a healthy life devoid of drugs and alcohol.
“This contest allows each participant to learn more about drugs and alcohol and the negative impact they can have,” said Ranieri.
Each year, this contest has had increasing participation, last year being the most successful with 11 posters and 13 videos submitted—a total of 48 people participating. This contest invites students to make a Video or a Poster that details the negative consequences to irresponsible alcohol and drug consumption.
The Awards Night will take place on March 29, 7:00 p.m., in the community room at the Walpole Public Library. Videos and posters will be judged based on creativity, appropriateness, and accuracy. Videos and posters must contain the Coalition logo, and middle and high schoolers may only participate in making a video. Elementary students can participate in either making a poster or a video.
Cash prizes will be given out to the winners. For the video contest: $250 for first prize, $100 for second, and $50 for third. Winner of first prize for the poster contest will receive $100, second place will receive $75, and third place will receive $50.
The Coalition is hoping for even more participants than last year, but mostly they are hoping to instill an awareness of the dangers of drugs and alcohol so young students will not resort to such substances.
