Porter County Recycling Announces 2018 Earth Day Bike, Contest Winners

Porter County Recycling Announces 2018 Earth Day Bike, Contest Winners

The 13th Annual Northwest Indiana Earth Day Celebration took place April 21, at the Porter County Expo Center, and many contest winners were recognized and earned prizes for their efforts in the event.

Four visitors won either bicycles or hand chairs after playing bingo and visiting all of the exhibitors listed on the game sheets: Jennifer Adams and Ethan Tuzinski, Valparaiso; Vicky Hedger, Portage; and Shariann Forker, LaPorte. The hand chairs were donated by City of Valparaiso Public Works Department.

In addition, all event attendees had the opportunity to vote on their favorites in the sixth annual School Rain Barrel Design Contest. First and second place prizes were awarded in three categories: elementary school, middle/intermediate, and high school.

First place $150 classroom scholarships were won by Chesterton High School, teacher Jill Smoker; St. Patrick School, Chesterton, teacher Lisa Hughes; and Lincoln Elementary School, Cedar Lake, teacher Katie Chambers.

Second place $75 classroom scholarships won by Merrillville High School, teacher Janet Anderson; Nativity of Our Savior School, teacher Pamela Clements; and Kouts Elementary School, teacher Austin Wright.

Porter-County-Recycling-Announces-2018-Earth-Day-Bike-Contest-Winners_02 Others won recognition in the fourth annual Re-Think Art Contest. Each art piece in the adult category was judged by a jury who gave first place awards to “Sgt. Pepper’s Pop Art,” by Nicole Hondros, Crown Point; second place to “Imagine Mandallage,” by Amanda Yonushatis, Valparaiso; and “Van Gogh in 3D,” by Pines Village Retirement Community’s Getting Crafty Crowd, Valparaiso.

Each art piece in both the adult and youth categories was judged by the visitors of the Northwest Indiana Earth Day Celebration: The following artworks won People’s Choice first place: “Alligator,” by Evan Enos, Valparaiso, and “Sgt. Pepper’s Pop Art;” “Creature,” by Cary Christopher, Chesterton, and “Recycle Dog,” by Lelia Gallup, Rosemary Hundt and Maddie Gessler ofDiscovery Charter School, won People’s Choice second place; and “Fancy Pants & Friends,” by Pines Village Retirement Community’s Getting Crafty Crowd, won People’s Choice third place.

The Northwest Indiana Earth Day Celebration was sponsored by Porter County Recycling & Waste Reduction with major support by Duneland 28, NWI Clean Air, Metro Recycling, NIPSCO, Pratt Industries, Fronius USA LLC, Porter County Expo, Republic Services, Tradebe Environmental Services, and many others.

Porter County Recycling & Waste Reduction is an agency dedicated to improving the environment and quality of life by providing services and educational programs which help residents reduce, reuse, and recycle.