I had the honor of being a judge for the Missing Children's poster contest in Iowa. The Iowa Department of Public Safety organizes the event for our state. It's a way to recognize an important public safety issue while giving kids a chance to express themselves creatively. This year, more than 100 fifth graders submitted a poster. The awards ceremony was a nice event, Governor Branstad spoke and we handed out awards for 10 honorable mentions, and one winner. Here are some photos.
The winner's name is Olivia Lapke from Logan Magnolia Elementary. I've posted a photo of her poster. It said, "Open your eyes America." It was so detailed with hundreds of blank children's faces. In an interview with Olivia I asked why the faces were blank. She said it was to represent the children who have gone missing but don't get any recognition. Brilliant! That's why she won :)
-Amanda
