Sixth-grader wins poster contest

Hannah Hale, a sixth-grade student at Dibrell School, has taken the first step to becoming an internationally recognized artist by winning a local competition sponsored by McMinnville Lions Club. Hannah is the 11-year-old daughter of Rickey and Lori Hale, and is in Mrs. Betsy McBride’s class.

Hannah’s poster was among more than 350,000 entries submitted worldwide in the annual Lions International Peace Poster Contest. Lions Clubs International is sponsoring the program to emphasize the importance of world peace to young people everywhere.

The Peace Poster theme was ‘Peace Around the World.’ McMinnville Lions Club sponsored this competition locally through the Warren County School System. Students who were between the ages of 11 and 13 by Nov. 15, 2007 were eligible to participate.

Students were encouraged to visually depict their interpretation of the contest’s theme. Hannah’s poster featured two racially diverse hands reaching out to each other across the globe.

When asked why she chose this subject Hannah said, ‘Everyone should reach out to each other and stop fighting.’

The poster was selected by local judges for its originality, artistic merit and portrayal of the contest theme. Hannah received a $50 prize from the local Lions Club for her winning effort. Her poster was sent to Lions Club district governor Sam Muse for judging at the district level.

To win the international prize, Hannah’s poster will have to advance through the district, and multiple district and international levels of competition.

One international grand prize winner and 23 merit award winners will be selected. The grand prize includes a cash award of $2,500, plus a trip for the winner and two family members to New York City for the awards ceremony at Lions Day with the United Nations. The 23 merit award winners will each receive a certificate and a cash award of $500.

Those interested can view past international grand prize winners at www.lionsclubs.org. Lions Clubs International is the world’s largest service club organization with nearly 1.3 million members in approximately 45,000 clubs in 200 countries and geographical areas around the world.

Since 1917, Lions clubs have aided the blind and visually impaired and made a strong commitment to community service and serving youth throughout the world.