CHICAGO, IL –Metra announced today the winners of its second annual safety poster contest designed to promote railroad safety practices to students ages K-12 throughout the six-county Northeastern Illinois region. The transit agency received more than 1,500 entries from more than 100 schools throughout the region marking significant growth and momentum in Metra’s already aggressive safety campaign efforts. As a result, Metra was recently recognized by the Illinois Safety Council as the recipient of this year’s Safety Public Outreach Award.

      “This year’s contest has been an overwhelming success with participation from every county in the region,” said Philip A. Pagano, Executive Director of Metra. “Not only have the students shown extraordinary talent and creativity
in their poster design, but most importantly, they have also exhibited tremendous leadership in articulating the importance of railroad safety to their peers.”

     The theme of this year’s safety poster contest, “Play it Safe: Look, Listen, and Live,” was chosen to recognize the importance of fundamental safety behaviors that people should commit to around trains and railroad tracks.

      The first place winning poster designs will be featured in more than 2,000 schools in the region throughout the year to encourage safety around trains. The designs will also be pictured on Metra’s monthly commuter tickets, featured in Metra’s annual safety calendar, and displayed in Metra train stations throughout Northeastern Illinois.

      This year’s judging panel, made up of local government officials, emergency responders, representatives from safety advocacy groups, members of the media and Metra representatives, judged each poster based on creativity, originality and appropriate representation of the contest theme.

      “We are so pleased that our judging panel took time from their busy schedules to participate because they recognize the importance of reinforcing safety rules to help keep our children safe around trains,” said Pagano. “School administrators and teachers are to be commended for also taking the time to engage students in discussions on safety and making rail road rules part of their lesson plans.”

      First, second and third place winners were chosen from each grade level. The first place winners received a new laptop. The second and third place winners received $250 and $100 gift cards respectively.

     The following participants were chosen as the contest’s first place winners:

• Demetrius Pappas, Kindergarten,
  Cambridge Lakes Charter School
• Shintaro Dee, First Grade,
  Central Park Elementary School
• Giovanny Alexis Rodriguez, Second Grade,
  Avondale Elementary School
• Natalie Lindquist, Third Grade,
  Lincoln Elementary School
• Cecilia Pappas, Fourth Grade,
  Cambridge Lakes Charter School
• Rosalba Herrera, Fifth Grade,
  Currier Elementary School
• Reynaldo Rodriguez, Sixth Grade,
  Logandale Middle School
• Dominique Bloink, Seventh Grade,
  Northbrook Junior High School
• Leighann Baxa, Eighth Grade,
  Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle School
• Heather Kuipers, Ninth Grade,
  Lincoln-Way East High School

• Tim Tucker, Tenth Grade,
  Beecher High School
• Harrison Kuykendall, Eleventh Grade,
  Cary-Grove High School
• Emily Harvey, Twelfth Grade,
  Cary-Grove High School

     The following participants were chosen as the contest’s second place winners:

• Alejandra Orozco, Kindergarten,
  Central Park Elementary School
• Mauricio Orozco, First Grade,
  Central Park Elementary School
• Omar Moussa Younes, Second Grade,
  George W. Lieb Elementary School
• DeAhnHuddleston, Third Grade,
  Kate Starr Kellogg Elementary School
• Jacquelyn Jones, Fourth Grade,
  Hickory Bend Elementary School
• Jason Salamon, Fifrh Grade,
  Luther Burbank Elementary School
• Nick Leahy, Sixth Grade,
  Clarendon Hills Middle School
• Brien Jackson, Seventh Grade,
  Kate Starr Kellogg Elementary School
• Keenan Calhoun, Eighth Grade,
  Edmund F. Lindop Elementary School
• Chris Scott, Ninth Grade,
  Lincoln-Way East High School
• Stephanie Emerich, Tenth Grade,
  Cary-Grove High School
• Knick Banas, Eleventh Grade,
  Cary-Grove High School
• Becca Sala, Twelfth Grade,
  Beecher High School

     The following participants were chosen as the contest’s third place winners:

• Kevin Wandick, Kindergarten,
  Eastview Elementary School
• Alan Alaniz, First Grade,
  Rhodes Elementary School
• Claire Wideman, Second Grade,
  Homewood Community Academy
• Lauren Coleman, Third Grade,
  Alice L. Barnard Elementary School
• Grace Flores, Fourth Grade,
  Richard E. Byrd Elementary School
• Annie Marie Scott,
  Meadow Ridge Elementary School
• Shaylene McCue, Sixth Grade,
  Antioch Elementary School
• Allison Milen, Seventh Grade,
  Kolmar Elementary School
• Audrey Paige Sauer, Eighth Grade,
  Indian Trail Middle School
• Stephanie Garinca, Ninth Grade,
  Bloom Township High School
• Lizzy Dyrek, Tenth Grade,
  Cary-Grove High School
• Michael Sansone, Eleventh Grade,
  Gallery 37 Advanced Arts Education Program
• Marcelo Sarmiento, Twelfth Grade,
  John F. Kennedy High School

      Due to the overwhelming success of the Second Annual Metra Safety Poster Contest, Metra is currently in the planning stages for next year’s contest. Information regarding the 2008-2009 Safety Poster contest will be announced later this fall at www.metracontest.com.