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Kids shine in recycling contests
Keep Liberty Beautiful
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Kids are just darned cute. I am a sucker for commercials with kids and with pets. Whatever they are selling, I usually fall for it!

These kids are just cuties who are loaded with personality. These children are not just cute faces, though. They had a message to promote, and they did a fantastic job doing it. These children are the winners of July’s recycling contest sponsored by VIP Office Products.

The contest was for several age categories. Entrants had to share their visions of why recycling is important with a drawing or a short essay. When the entries poured in, Barbara Meador Finster, who coordinated the contest for VIP, said they were a little overwhelmed.

“All of the entries were delightful,” she said. “It was so hard to select a few winners from the over 60 entries that we received.”

The winning entries will be displayed on VIP’s and Keep Liberty Beautiful’s Facebook sites.

The winning entries by age were:

• James Montanio (5 years old) won first prize in the younger category and received an art basket valued at $50. He created his three-dimensional drawing with found objects and paints made from blueberries and spinach.

• DeAnn Massey (6) placed first in the next age category and also received an art basket valued at $50. De Ann’s drawing focused on the types of items that can be recycled.

• Jacob Struble (8) received second place in this category and received a $25 Walmart gift card. His drawing included a picture of his own hand giving a “hand” to the world by recycling.

• Alyssa Ovitt (9) placed first in the essay category and received a $50 gift certificate. Alyssa did some serious research and came up with a number of ways to take care of the world by reusing things we have and recycling trash items so they can be used again. She attached a drawing of kids who rode their bikes to help with a beach cleanup and were recycling bottles and other litter.

• Stephanie Soto-Feliciano (10) placed second in the essay contest and received a $25 Walmart gift card. Stephanie listed ways to recycle in our everyday lives and reuse items we have. She stressed in closing that “remember, when you recycle, you save us. You also save the environment, too!”

If I was half as cute and creative as these kids, I bet the whole county would be recycling now! Thanks to all contest participants and to VIP for reminding all of us to “reduce, reuse and recycle!”

See Wednesday’s Coastal Courier for photos of the winners.

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