Fourth Grade Students Honored at Statewide Prevention Artwork Premier
4/1/2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 1, 2010
Contact Information:
Michelle Vernuccio Media Coordinator
Phone: 973.467.2100, ext. 24
E-mail: michelle@drugfreenj.org
Fourth Grade Students Honored at Statewide Prevention Artwork Premier
To view video of this event, please click here
PHOTO CAPTION: Landry Miles, a student at Our Lady of Oak Ridge Heights School in Colonia and Alexandra Stanchich, a student at Westbrook School in West Milford (CENTER) were the two grand prize winners for the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ)/ Verizon’s 11th Annual Design a Fourth Grade Folder Contest. A ceremony was held at the Verizon Headquarters in Newark, New Jersey featuring the artwork of Landry and Alexandra as well as 28 other finalists who were selected from close to 6,000 students statewide who designed messages with the theme “Fun Things to do Instead of Doing Drugs.” The grand prize winners’ artwork will be featured on school folders that will be distributed to fourth grade students throughout New Jersey in the fall. Joining Landry and Alexandra are (from Left to Right) Douglas W. Schoenberger, Verizon NJ Vice President of Corporate Responsibility; Landry’s parents, John & Eileen Miles; Angelo M. Valente, Executive Director of the PDFNJ and Alexandra’s parents, Judi and Eric Stanchich.(NEWARK) – This past school year, close to 6,000 students from all parts of the state participated in the Partnership for a Drug Free New Jersey (PDFNJ)/Verizon 11th Annual Design a Fourth Grade Folder Contest. Fourth grade students were challenged to create anti-drug artwork relating to the theme of the contest: “Fun Things To Do Instead of Doing Drugs.” On Thursday, March 25, 2010 the artwork of 30 finalists were on display at the Verizon headquarters in Newark. A ceremony honoring the finalists was held and the two grand prize winners were announced: Landry Miles of Our Lady of Oak Ridge Heights School in Colonia and Alexandra Stanchich of Westbrook School in West Milford. The two grand prize winning entries’ artwork will be featured on school folders that will be distributed to fourth grade students throughout New Jersey in the fall.
“We applaud these young people from around the state who came up with very entertaining and creative ways to spend time doing the right things in life and their ideas can be emulated by all,” said Dennis Bone, President of Verizon New Jersey. “The Partnership plays a vital role in this state helping show children and teens that there are alternatives to drugs and those alternatives are fun, rewarding and fulfilling.”
“The Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey has consistently believed that early prevention programs like the Fourth Grade Folder Contest, are effective ways to actively engage New Jersey’s young people in selecting and maintaining a drug free, healthy lifestyle,” says Angelo M. Valente, executive director, PDFNJ.
Best known for its statewide anti-drug advertising campaign, the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey is a private not-for-profit coalition of professionals from the communications, corporate and government communities whose collective mission is to reduce demand for illicit drugs in New Jersey through media communication. To date, more than $50 million in broadcast time and print space has been donated to the Partnership’s New Jersey campaign, making it the largest public service advertising campaign in New Jersey’s history. Since its inception the Partnership has garnered over 50 Advertising and Public Relations Awards from National, Regional & Statewide Media Organizations.