Red Ribbon Rallies Poster, Poetry & Essay Contests Winter Haven Area Winners Announced May 9, 2013

  Inne       InnerAct Alliance is proud to announce the winners of its Poster, Poetry and Essay Contests for Fifth Grade
               Students in the greater Winter Haven/Haines City area schools. Contest participants will be recognized during the
               Red Ribbon Rally on Thursday morning, May 9, at 10:00 a.m. at Polk State College Gym in Winter Haven.

The anti-drug rally focuses on reinforcing critical substance abuse resistance skills before students enter middle school in the fall. Students were challenged to use their creative talents to compose essays, write poems, or draw posters to illustrate topical messages about the dangers of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. Overall winners in each category will receive cash prizes of $100 (first place), $50 (second place), and $25 (third place) in each contest category.

Congratulations to the Winter Haven Area Rallies Contest Overall Prize Winners

Poster Contest

1^st Place $100.00 - Yashierlys Vazquez from Loughman Oaks Elementary

2^nd Place $ 50.00 - Zoie Whiting from Jewett School of the Arts
3^rd Place $ 25.00 - Ariel Salgado from Elbert Elementary

                                   

Poetry Contest
1^st Place $100.00 - Demetrion Mallett from Jewett School of the Arts

2^nd Place $ 50.00 - Natasha Mull from Garden Grove Elementary          

3^rd Place $ 25.00 - Ashley Vargus from Caldwell Elementary    

Essay Contest 
1^st Place $100.00 - I’yana Whittaker from J.H. Wilson Elementary

2^nd Place $ 50.00 - Arianna Pels from Berkley Charter

3^rd Place $ 25.00 - Deisy Cruz Garcia from Wahneta Elementary

School with the Most Contest Participants Overall - Berkley Elementary

Guest speaker for the Rallies is Patrick T. Grady, a former middle and high school educator who travels throughout
North America inspiring and encouraging individuals to do their best in all of their endeavors. Grady is the author of
“Who Packs the Parachute,” and co-author of “Teen Power Too,” and “Teen Power and Beyond.”

Similar rallies for Lakeland area schools took place on May 2^nd at The Lakeland Center.

The mission of InnerAct Alliance is to reduce the abuse and underage use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs through: Community Awareness and Involvement; Prevention Education; Economic Support; and Leadership Development. The 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency is proud to offer substance abuse prevention to the Hardee, Highlands and Polk County communities with services including science-based education in elementary and middle schools, drug-free puppet shows, informative presentations and family-oriented awareness events that touch the lives of youth, parents, families, businesses, faith-based organizations, community groups and others in need with an important substance abuse message.