State K of C poster winners announced

Knights of Columbus

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Knights of Columbus Substance Abuse Awareness Poster Contest by Peter McElaney, from Saint John the Baptist Parish in Draper, won the first place in the Age 12-14 Alcohol Awareness and Abuse category

SALT LAKE CITY — This year the Utah Knights of Columbus Substance Abuse Awareness Poster Contest recipients were from all over the state.

Dax McPartland, a parishioner of Holy Family Catholic Church in Ogden, won first place in the Age 8-11 Alcohol Awareness and Abuse category.

Sophie Robertson, from Saint Francis Xavier Parish in Kearns, took first place in the Age 12-14 Drug Awareness and Abuse category.

Peter McElaney, from Saint John the Baptist Parish in Draper, won first place in the Age 12-14 Alcohol Awareness and Abuse category.

The yearly contest is open to all young people between the ages of 8 and 14. Each of the posters included a slogan reflecting the topic and an original visual image in an 11 x 17 inch format.

For years the Knights of Columbus have been active in the fight against all forms of substance abuse. To further efforts, the organization sponsors a Substance Abuse Awareness Poster Contest. Winners at the state level are sent to the Supreme Council, located in New Haven, Conn., for the international competition, which has seen winners from Utah.

For Donna McPartland, the fact that her son Dax won first place in his category meant two triumphs in a row.

"He also won last year, so he wanted to try again," said McPartland. "To see his creativity in such a positive way is a wonderful thing."

Last year Dax was excited to show his certificate among his peers. He is the youngest of three boys.

"Having 19- and 20-year-old brothers, for him it’s very important to show them that he has succeeded in something," said McPartland.

For her, the participation of kids in this type of contest is a way of setting good examples for the youth.

"There are so many bad role models in the world ... so to reinforce the good things and the positive things, it’s just wonderful," said McPartland.

Dax McPartland said he was very happy and excited to win the contest. "It feels good because I get money and I wanted to share it," he said.

The purpose of this contest is twofold: to promote local awareness among young people of the major societal problems of alcohol and drug abuse, and to generate ideas for the Knights of Columbus anti-substance abuse posters and literature.

The Knights of Columbus is an international Catholic fraternal service organization with nearly 1.7 million members worldwide.