Catholic school students’ artwork in Kid Safety Calendar

COLUMBIA —  First Lady Jenny Sanford, honorary chair of the S.C. Safe Kids Coalition, unveiled the 2004 Kid Safety Calendar in December. Thousands of entries were judged by the 2003 S.C. Safe Kids Board of Directors, and 13 illustrations were chosen for the calendar. Two of the 13 winners were students attending Catholic schools.
“Each school could send three entries for grades 1-6,” said Eve Stacey,  one of the judges. Stacy, an attorney with Rogers Townsend & Thomas, said that the judges “looked for good illustrations of the safety message, done in a meaningful and unique way that young people could relate to.”
Joe Pinner from WIS-TV was the emcee for the awards ceremony and announced the names as Sanford handed out the plaques and $100 gift certificates from Wal-Mart.
Art teacher Jerri Bautler of St. Francis School in Hilton Head  wasn’t surprised that Patrick Poland, one of her sixth-grade students, won an award. She has found Patrick to be a creative thinker.
Poland picked the topic of electrical safety because it is a common problem, especially around the holidays with Christmas lights.
Jacob Kozacki, a fifth-grader from St. Anthony School in Florence, said it felt good to have his work recognized by the state.  “It made me want to continue drawing,” said Jacob. His artwork showed a father assisting his son with fireworks.
Dr. Thomas Gibbons, chairman of the S.C. Safe Kids Coalition,  congratulated all the winners. “While these children were working on this project they were thinking about safety, and when others look at their artwork, it could make a difference in the state,” said Gibbons. He added that 900,000 copies of the calendar will be distributed to schools, pediatric offices and hospitals.