IDOT Announces Fourth Annual Work Zone Safety Statewide Calendar Contest

SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is honoring 12 students from across the state today who participated in the 2008-2009 Fourth Annual Illinois Work Zone Safety Calendar Contest.  The drawings of the twelve finalists will appear in the 2010 Illinois Work Zone Safety Calendar, which will be distributed at IDOT events across Illinois.

"We congratulate these twelve students on a job well done," said IDOT Secretary Gary Hannig.  "They have taken on tremendous responsibility to promote work zone safety issues and we're proud to recognize them for their efforts and display their work in our calendars to thousands of people in Illinois."

The Illinois State Board of Education and IDOT joined the Illinois Chapter of ATSSA and the American Traffic Safety Services Foundation (ATSSF) to coordinate the statewide calendar contest to promote work zone safety by introducing children at an early age to safe driving techniques.  The idea is to instill a lifelong awareness of work zone hazards and foster safe driving behavior in the future.  Children were asked to draw their view of a work zone.

Over 2,400 students from various schools across the state participated in the Illinois calendar contest.  Students in kindergarten through sixth-grade in public and private elementary schools around the state were eligible to participate in this contest.  There are three categories: kindergarten through first grade, second through fourth grade and fifth through sixth-grade.

IDOT has worked tirelessly to encourage students and their parents or caregivers to become aware of the importance of driving safely in work zones.  The top 12 finalists from Illinois have their entries on the IDOT website.  The top 12 finalist drawings can be viewed at www.dot.il.gov/trafficsafety/WZS/WZScontest.html

 
2008-2009 Illinois Work Zone Safety
Calendar Contest Winners

K-1st Grade Category

1st Place:
Mia Garrison
Grade 1
Algonquin Primary Center
Park Forest, IL

2nd Place:
John Hatcher, Jr.
Grade 1
Beacon Hill Primary Center
Chicago Heights, IL

2-4th Grade Category

1st Place:
CharLee Jones
Grade 4
Pleasant Valley
Peoria, IL

2nd Place:
Katy Bretscher
Grade 4
St. Joseph School
Springfield, IL

5-6th Grade Category

1st Place:
Chelsea McTeague
Grade 5
Pleasant Valley
Peoria, IL

2nd Place:
Kira Thomas
Grade 5
Pleasant Valley
Peoria, IL
 

Honorable Mentions:

Gavyn Woolard
Grade 1
Benton Grade School
Benton, IL

********************************************
Triston Bigham
Grade 1
Benton Grade School
Benton, IL

********************************************
Tyler Lawrence
Grade 4
Graham Elementary
Springfield, IL

********************************************
Brooke Hudson
Grade 3
Worthen Elementary
Granite City, IL

********************************************
Alishia DeBord
Grade 6
Lincoln Jr. High School
Lincoln, IL

********************************************
Justice Brown
Grade 6
Pleasant Valley
Peoria, IL