Eckerd Hi-Five Program Picks 6th Grade Winner of Drug and Alcohol Prevention Poster Contest

HERNANDO, Fla. - Dec. 22, 2014 - PRLog -- Eckerd Hi-Five program of Hernando County sponsored the First Drug and Alcohol Prevention Poster Contest for students at D.S Parrot Middle School. The contest was open to any student currently enrolled in the Hi-Five program. Eckerd’s Hi-Five Program provides 6^th grade students with the opportunity to combine character education with evidence-based substance abuse and violence prevention interventions.

Students were tasked with designing posters to encourage an alcohol and drug free lifestyle for Middle School youth. A judging committee nominated 10 semifinalists, and then school administrators and personnel chose three winners. The competition was very difficult to judge, with several entries vying for 1^st prize, but the judges selected 6^th grade student Trayvon Mathis who used powerful imagery to show how alcohol and drugs can affect a person’s long-term goals and achievements in both academics and sports.  The judging panel was impressed with the creativity and artistry of Trayvon’s entry and selected him the winner.

First runner-up prize went to 6^th grade student Gabriel Valdez with his entry of the effects of drug and alcohol on the body. Second runner up prize went to 6^th grade student O’Rion Lombardi with his poster “Key to Success without Drugs or Alcohol.”  All the entries showed that the students had a good understanding of the subjects covered in the Hi-Five Program and expressed their ideas in a highly creative way. All the semifinalist posters will be used in a future Middle School anti-drugs campaign and will be hung around the school.

About Eckerd: Eckerd is a national nonprofit organization headquartered in Clearwater, Florida, that has given much-needed second chances to more than 150,000 children and families since its founding by Jack and Ruth Eckerd in 1968.  Eckerd serves over 15,000 children and their families each year through life-changing child welfare, juvenile justice and behavioral health programs in eight states.  Eckerd’s mission is to provide and share solutions that promote the well-being of children and families in need of a second chance.  To learn more visit www.eckerd.org. Follow us on Twitter at @eckerdyouth and “like” us on Facebook at facebook.com/eckerdyouth