On July 9, PA American Water announced the winners of its 18th Annual Protect Our Watersheds Art Contest, with fifth-grade student Evey Concannon from Luzerne County scoring top honors.

The company received nearly 70 entries from fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders across the state in their service territory.

Fifth-grader Evey Concannon of Fairview Elementary School earned the grand prize for her artwork that encourages us to join together to “Save Our Planet and Save Our Watersheds!”

Her artwork will be featured on “bloomer cards” and distributed across the state by PA American Water. Bloomers are seed-filled cards that, when planted and tended, produce a variety of wildflowers.

“With increasing emphasis on environmental education in schools, we are seeing more students take an active role in watershed preservation and protection,” said Pennsylvania American Water President Mike Doran. “Activities like our art contest help to remind us that we all have a part in protecting our water sources.”

Concannon’s artwork earned first prize among eastern Pennsylvania entries, followed by Madison Celesnik, a fifth-grade student from Winding Creek Elementary School (Cumberland County), in second place. Sixth grader Grace Clark of Spring-Ford Intermediate School (Montgomery County) finished third.

In western Pennsylvania, all three winners are from Allegheny County-- the first place winner is Ishi Gupta, a fifth-grader from South Fayette Elementary School (Allegheny County) with second place going to fourth-grader Jenna Kophazy from Beaty-Warren Middle School and sixth-grader Gabriella Kim from St. Margaret of Scotland School earning third place. 

The winning students will receive Barnes & Noble gift cards.

PA American Water’s contest requires that the students accompany their artwork with a short description of how watershed protection affects them personally. After reviewing the entries, a panel of judges selected three top drawings from both eastern and western Pennsylvania before naming Concannon as the grand prize winner.

In response to limitations to in-person interaction due to the COVID-19 pandemic, PA American Water has printed each winning student’s artwork on a congratulatory sign to be placed in each student’s yard as recognition for their achievements.

For more information, visit the PA American Water website.

(Photo: Fifth-grader Evey Concannon from Luzerne County scored top honors.)

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[Posted: July 9, 2020]

7/13/2020