Mayor Sherman Lea and Vice-Mayor Anita Price joined U.S. Cellular (NYSE: USM) and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia to announce the winners of the Black History Month Art contest at a special ceremony at the Club’s location at 1714 9th St SE in Roanoke. The contest was designed to honor influential African-Americans and inspire students’ creativity and knowledge of these heroes.
Members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia were invited to select an influential African-American and develop his or her likeness into an original 8.5 x 11 portrait using any art medium. This year the Club received hundreds of entries from which the top 10 finalists were chosen and placed on display at area U.S. Cellular stores in Roanoke and Salem where the public voted for their favorites during the month of February:
Winners are: 1st Place – Nicole Carrier, a 16-year-old, 10th grader at Patrick Henry HS for a portrait of Rosa Parks; 2nd Place – Jada Nicole Legans, a 12-year-old, 6th grader at Jackson Middle School for a portrait of Martin Luther King, Jr.; 3rd Place (a tie) – Tyler Turner, 14-year-old, a 9th grader at Patrick Henry HS for a portrait of Jackie Robinson, and Elijah Allen an 11-year-old, 6th grader, Home-schooled for a portrait of Muhammad Ali.
“Our store associates in Roanoke loved sharing the artwork with our customers and other community members who came in to vote,” said Nathan Waddell, director of sales for U.S. Cellular in the Southeast, “This contest is a wonderful way to praise the rich history of culture and diversity here in Roanoke and across our country.”
Now in its 10 year this U.S. Cellular Black History Month Art Contest has made the following impact: $8,950 in awards to students; over 7,500 students have participated and Similar programs developed and continued in nearby locales including Morgantown, Lynchburg, and Martinsville, plus others across the country.
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