About the Contest:
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is celebrated statewide on January 21, 2008. Throughout the month many activities occur throughout the nation to honor Dr. King's commitment to public service and his vision for a better tomorrow. To demonstrate to young people that they can and do have an impact on issues facing their community, The Sullivan Trail Chapter of the American Red Cross invites middle school students to create a poster to help inspire and encourage young people to show their "caring spirit" through volunteerism in our Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Poster Contest.

Poster Theme:
"Youth: Serving today for a changed tomorrow"

Who Can Enter:
The contest is open to all middle school students, grades 5th through 8th, in the following areas: Elmira, Elmira Heights, Horseheads, Waverly, Sayre, Watkins Glenn, Odessa and Athens.

Entrants/Winners:
Prizes will be awarded to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners in the following grade categories: 5th - 6th grade and 7th - 8th grade.
All entrants will be invited to join us for a special reception at the Chapter's main office on Friday, January 30, 2009 from 6:00pm-7:00pm. Winners must be present to accept award. A special panel of guest speakers will also be present at the reception to speak about such topics as volunteerism, diversity and community needs.

Contest Prizes
Grades 5th and 6th
1st Place - $100 US Savings Bond
2nd Place - $50 US Savings Bond
3rd Place - Red Cross gift bag

Grades 7th and 8th
1st Place - $100 US Savings Bond
2nd Place - $50 US Savings Bond
3rd Place - Red Cross gift bag

Posters will be on display at The Sullivan Trail Chapter's main office and on its website as a way to celebrate youth and volunteerism! All posters become the property of The Sullivan Trail Chapter and we reserve the right to use a copy of any submitted poster in future materials.

Instructions:
1. All posters must be submitted on poster or illustration board and overall dimensions should be approximately 15"x20".

2. All artwork must be original and any media will be accepted. Bold and brilliant colors are suggested.

3. All stenciled, traced or computer generated artwork is prohibited.

4. A title or short message promoting youth in volunteering on the front of the poster is encouraged.

5. Posters will be judged on both clarity of theme and quality of art.

6. Posters with misspelled words will be eliminated.

7. Each entry must have the following information on the back of the poster (please print clearly): name, age, grade, home address, phone number, names of parents(s)/legal guardian(s), school name, school address, school phone number and name of art instructor or classroom teacher.

8. Winners will be notified by January 16, 2009. Winners must be present at awards reception on January 30, 2009 beginning at 6:00pm.

9. All entries must be received by Wednesday, January 14, 2009. Mail or deliver entries to address: 911 Stowell Street, Elmira, NY 14901

Questions regarding the contest may be directed to Tess Pollack at (607)734-3317 or email at Youth@redcrosselmira.org