By Matthew Young, RealWV
The deadline is fast approaching for the seventh “Kids Kick Opioids” contest. Presented yearly by the Office of W.Va. Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, the deadline for entries is Friday, April 14.
“I encourage students to tap into their creative minds and consider entering the contest,” Morrisey told RealWV on Monday. “Students across the state have so much creative talent.”
According to the Attorney General’s office, “The contest provides an opportunity for students to learn the dangers of prescription painkiller abuse. It has also given many a channel to express the personal impact of opioid abuse upon their lives and that of their loved ones.”
Students are encouraged to work either individually, or in groups to create their submissions. The year’s top entries will appear in newspapers statewide, and regional winners will be displayed in the State Capitol. Since its first year, the Kids Kick Opioids contest has received more than 14,000 total submissions.
“This [contest] allows them to use their talent to spread the message that opioid abuse can kill,” Morrisey said. “I appreciate all the hard work that students are doing by participating in this contest.”
Erin Walls of Winfield Middle School was the 2022 winner of the Kids Kick Opioids contest, while Mary Calvert of Washington Irving Middle School was the runner up. Additional runners-up were Atyana Hinz of Moorefield Middle School, Sheridan Hudson of Rivesville Elementary/Middle School, and Abby Allen of Spanishville Elementary School.
Contest entries must be postmarked by Friday, April 14, and mailed to the Attorney General’s Office at 1900 Kanawha Blvd. E., State Capitol Building 1, Room 26-E, Charleston, WV 25305, or sent by email to AGPSA.contest@wvago.gov.
