Virginia Arbor Day Poster Contest Winner Places 2nd in National Competition

04/18/06
MARTINSVILLE, VA, May 1, 2006 – Eunyoung Choi, a fifth-grade student at Sangster Elementary School in Springfield, is the Virginia state winner in the 2006 Arbor Day National Poster Contest and went on to the national competition, where her poster received second place.

The Arbor Day National Poster Contest is open to fifth grade students in states with a designated coordinator. It has been held since 1992 to help promote the importance of Arbor Day and tree planting as well as to educate children about the importance of trees and the benefits they provide in our daily lives. This year’s competition was centered on the theme “Trees are Terrific… in all Shapes and Sizes!” More than 2,700 fifth-grade students from Virginia participated this year, and 45 states participated nationally.

Choi was honored on Saturday, April 15, in Charlottesville, at the Courtyard Marriott-UVA Medical Center. Eunyoung and nine runners-up enjoyed a luncheon followed by fun tree games and activities and were presented with a certificate and prizes for their artistic accomplishments.

“We’re very happy Virginia participated this year,” says John Rosenow, president of
The National Arbor Day Foundation. “Students like Eunyoung across the state have learned how important trees are to the environment and how we can take care of them.”

Choi was selected by a panel of judges from across the state, including Lois Christensen, President of Gateway Streetscape and Emily Smith, Exhibits Coordinator at Piedmont Arts Association. The contest was sponsored by The National Arbor Day Foundation, Toyota and The Virginia Museum of Natural History.

As the state’s grand prize winner, Choi will receive a $500 savings bond. For her national placing, Choi will receive an additional $500 savings bond, and her teacher, Patricia Stroebel, will receive $100 that she can use to purchase educational materials.

The Virginia runners up will receive $100 savings bonds. The runners up included: Antonia DeLoatch from Paul Munro Elementary in Lynchburg; Mark Aptekhmandov, from Luray Elementary in Luray; Daniel Carroll, from Marumsco Hills Elementary in Woodbridge; Karen Artola, from Kilby Elementary in Woodbridge; Emma Nowak from Haydon Elementary in Manassas; Andrei Rocha-Valdez from Porter Traditional School in Woodbridge; Myung Hoon Jung from Centreville Elementary in Centreville; Faith Huynh from Norfolk Elementary in Norfolk; and Yujin Han from J. Art Studio in Annandale.

The national winner for this year’s poster contest will be announced on National Arbor Day, April 28, 2006. The winner, two parents, and the teacher of the winning student will receive an expense-paid trip to Nebraska City, Neb., birthplace of Arbor Day, where they will stay at Lied Conference Center during National Awards Weekend, April 28-30. In addition, the national winner also will receive a $1,000 savings bond and lifetime membership in The National Arbor Day Foundation. The winning teacher will receive $200 for classroom materials.

The national competition is sponsored by The National Arbor Day Foundation and Toyota. The National Arbor Day Foundation, a million-member, nonprofit educational organization, is dedicated to inspiring people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees. Visit www.arborday.org for online learning opportunities and educational materials, including lesson plans that correlate with National Science Standards.