Grace Harbridge and Faye Knapstein, Iola-Scandinavia sixth graders, won the local Peace Poster competition sponsored by the Iola Lions and Lioness clubs.
“Make peace start with you,” said Lioness winner Harbridge.
“Peace is a personal thing. It starts one person at a time,” said Lions winner Knapstein.
A total of 70 sixth- and seventh-grade students from the I-S School District participated in the contest.
Stephanie Hayes, sixth grade, was the Lioness second place winner, and Bryanna Kisting, sixth grade, placed third.
Lions winners were sixth grader Lyncoln Podgorny, second place, and seventh grader Avigail Carvajal placed third.
The 70 posters submitted from the I-S elementary and middle schools were among the more than 375,000 entries submitted worldwide in the 26th annual Lions International Peace Poster Contest. Lions Clubs International sponsors the contest to emphasize the importance of world peace to young people everywhere.
The local posters were judged Oct. 22 by Amber Curtis, an art teacher from Weyauwega, and Iola Lion Mark Forsythe. They selected the winning posters for their originality, artistic merit and portrayal of the contest theme “Our World, Our Future.”
“There were many excellent posters.” Forsythe said.
“The students had a variety of ways they expressed the theme,” Curtis said.
Iola Lion President Michael Jacquart was impressed by the expression and creativity of the I-S students.
“It is obvious that these young people have strong ideas about what peace means to them,” he said. “I’m so proud that we were able to provide them with the opportunity to share their visions.”
The students are guided in the process of designing a Peace Poster by art instuctors Jill Willems and Peggy Olsen.
The Iola Lions and Lioness appreciate the time and effort these instructors take with their students on the Peace Poster project,” said Alice Peterson, Peace Poster chairperson.
“Harbridge’s and Knapstein’s posters will advance to face stiff competition through the district, multiple district and international rounds of competition if one of them is to be declared the international grand prize winner,” said Maggie Jones, president of the Iola Lioness.
One grand prize winner and 23 merit award winners will be selected. The grand prize includes a cash award of $5,000 plus a trip for the winner and two family members to the awards ceremony at Lions Day at the United Nations in New York City. The 23 merit award winners will each receive a certificate and cash award of $500.
“Our club is cheering for Harbridge and Knapstein as their posters advance in the competition,” Jacquart and Jones said. “We hope that their vision will ultimately be shared with others around the world.”
Locally, the Iola Lioness winners were honored on Oct. 28 at the Lioness meeting and the Lions winners will be honored Nov. 18 at the Lion’s regular meeting. Prizes ranging from $75 to $25 will be awarded to these students,
For more information about the Iola Lions, Lioness or Leos clubs, contact: Lioness Kate Korb at 920-538-2255 or Lion Ralph Bostwick at 715-445- 2226, or visit www.iolalionism.org.
International grand prize and merit award winners can be viewed at www.lionsclub.org.
Lions Club International is the world’s largest service club organization with 1.35 million members in more than 46,000 clubs in 207 countries and geographic areas. In addition to its effort toward conquering blindness, the organization has made a strong commitment to community service and helping youth throughout the world.