Hudson Valley Graphic Design Firm Helps Croton Community Coalition Win National Innovation Award

CROTON-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. - March 19, 2014 - PRLog -- Designing a collection of information-packed, full-color postcard mailers for the Croton Community Coalition on the dangers of marijuana use among middle and high school students has received national recognition thanks to the work of Hudson Valley Graphic Design, the innovative design firm that crafted and designed the graphics based on the Croton Community Coalition’s concept: “Marijuana Prevention: Tool Kit for Parents.”

The six postcards, with accompanying verbiage on the dangers of marijuana use, received the “Innovation Award for Ideas,” an honor bestowed by the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA), a national organization that works with the nation’s anti-drug coalitions to promote safe, healthy and drug-free communities.

The award was presented to Laurie Dean, Croton Community Coalition coordinator, during the CADCA National Leadership Forum held in Washington, D.C. last month.

The HVGD team, under the direction of owner Janeen Violante, collaborated with the Coalition to create what Violante describes as a set of “stark, impactful graphics.” Both Violante and representatives of the Croton community, including school district personnel, were part of a taskforce that came up with ideas for the marketing collateral.

Violante’s team cleverly integrated images of tools that might be found in a carpenter’s toolbox, such as a screwdriver, a level and a measuring tape, incorporating them into brightly colored postcards that stressed the impact pot smoking has on learning, driving and behavior. The intent was to educate parents, providing facts and techniques to help them understand today’s teen and his/her use of marijuana.

“Taking the Coalition’s concept and making it come to life is an example of what we love to do for all of our clients,” says Violante. “Being recognized nationally for innovation on such a worthwhile cause makes it that much more gratifying.”

The toolkit, which was mailed to over a thousand households in the Croton community, will be the focus of an upcoming podcast sponsored by CADCA, in addition to being prominently featured on its CADCA Idea Exchange website. All six postcards can be viewed on the Coalition’s website (http://www.crotoncoalition.com).