KIDS LAUDED FOR POSTERS AGAINST DRUGS, ALCOHOL

The awards ceremony for the 11th annual countywide alcohol and drug abuse
poster contest was held Friday in the lobby of the Sullivan County
Government Center.

The contest, sponsored by the Recovery Center and Sullivan County Cares
Coalition, honors students who design posters alerting kids to the dangers
of drugs and alcohol while providing a hopeful message. In total, 70 awards
were presented to school children from every school in the county.

The judges chose two grand prize winners -- one in English and one in
Spanish. Judges felt that posters by Allison Jones, a fifth-grader at
Benjamin Cosor Elementary School, and Brittany Flynn of Sullivan West's
ninth grade best promoted this year's theme -- "We Are the Future; Let's
Make It Alcohol, Tobacco and Drug Free."

Legislature Chairman Chris Cunningham helped present the awards.

"One of the goals of this contest is to teach children about the dangers of
drugs and alcohol early in life so they have the information needed to turn
away from these dangerous and deadly substances," Cunningham said. "The
children, by creating these posters, communicate with their peers and send
a clean and sober message."