Bailey Ritchey, a third-grade student at Burchfield Primary School in Allegheny County, will receive a $1,000 educational bond for winning first-place in the Pennsylvania Dental Association's (PDA) 2011 National Children's Dental Health Month (NCDHM) statewide poster contest.
Bailey's poster will be reproduced as bookmarks, which will be distributed to all of Pennsylvania's public libraries. PDA member Dr. Sharon Davis of Moon Township will present Bailey with her framed winning poster and bookmarks at an upcoming school assembly in June.
In addition to Bailey's prizes, Burchfield Primary School and her school nurse, Audrey Gaskill will each receive a $250 prize for participating in PDA's contest.
Her winning poster, "Keep Your Choppers Clean," depicts a beaver brushing its "choppers" with a toothbrush made from a tree branch. Vibrantly colored and skillfully drawn, Bailey demonstrated that she truly understands the importance of good oral health.
"Find a Healthy Smile by Brushing Twice a Day" was the theme of second-place winner Thalia Irofuala's poster. Thalia, a third-grade student at Smithfield Elementary in Monroe County, drew a picture of a bright-eyed doll holding a toothbrush and toothpaste. Thalia will receive a $500 educational savings bond.
Third-place winner, Olivia Roback chose "Brush but Don't Rush" as the theme for her poster, a self portrait in which she is seen brushing angry cavities from her teeth. Olivia, a third-grader at St. Margaret Mary School in Dauphin County, will receive a $250 educational savings bond.
The winning posters were selected from more than 60 well designed and creative regional finalist posters submitted to the PDA Central Office for final judging. The contest was open to third-grade students in any Pennsylvania public, private or charter school. It is estimated that 20,000 third-grade students across Pennsylvania participated in this year's poster contest.
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