As a reminder to kids to stay off drugs and alcohol, the Westminster Area Community Awareness Action Team sponsored its annual “Just Say No to Drugs” week April 30-May 5 in Adams County School District 50.
Part of the event was a poster contest for elementary students asking them to artistically portray the theme of “I have better things to do than drugs.”
More than 800 posters were submitted, but only four students were chosen as winners.
In the kindergarten-through-second-grade category, the first-place winner was Tshajlij Vue, and the second-place winner was Merari Pareds, both from Mesa Elementary.
In the third-through-fifth-grade category, the first-place winner was Antonio Gomez-Mendez from Metz Elementary, and the second-place winner was Viviana Patino, from Hodgkins Elementary.
All of the winners received tickets to Water World and Adventure Golf family tickets provided by Hyland Hills Parks and Recreation District.
“We asked the judges to choose the poster that best represented the theme,” said Phyllis Aschenbrenner with the action team. “The judges also looked artistic ability.”
Westminster Area Community Awareness Action Team is a non-profit organization with a goal to build a community without drugs in Westminster and District 50.
According to the organization’s website, the goals of the program are to reduce substance abuse among youth and, over time, among adults.
“We work with different prevention strategies, and we are an advocate for the school district,” Aschenbrenner said. “We do an event in the fall and then one in the spring to remind students to say no to alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.”
The team is a volunteer-run organization and is always in need for more volunteers.
For more information go online to www.drugfreecommunity.com.