Four elementary school students from Prince County were recently awarded prizes for their entries in the “Not Breaking the Rules” essay contest. The annual contest is held at schools in various regions across Prince Edward Island and is intended to help educate students about the dangers of impaired and careless driving.
“These students have shown an excellent understanding of the possible consequences of impaired and dangerous driving,” says Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal Minister Ron MacKinley. “The message they receive before writing the essays is very hard-hitting and real, and that’s the kind of message that really gets through to students.”
Students are invited to write the essays after seeing a presentation by Mr. Alex Poole, an employee with the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal. In 1976 Mr. Poole was thrown from his vehicle at high speed while impaired, and has since been a T12 paraplegic. His message resonates deeply with students and helps them understand how dangerous impaired driving can be. This year, hundreds of essay contest entries were received from students in Grades 5 and 6 at Prince County elementary schools. Prizes this year included two IPods and two bicycles. Funding for the prizes was raised by Mr. Poole through various non-profit organizations across the Island.
The winners of this year’s “Not Breaking the Rules” essay contest are:
-Trish Gallant, a Grade 6 student from Miscouche Elementary
-Brandon Costain, a Grade 6 student from Greenfield Elementary
-Riley Delane, a Grade 5 student from St. Louis Elementary
-Jadyn Carragher, a Grade 5 student from O’Leary Elementary