LAKEPORT >> On Friday April 21, Quintin Guiterrez 1st Place winner, Rorie Rodiques 2nd place and Macayla Keeney 3rd place winner were presented with an award by Brock Falkenkberg, Lake County Superintendent of Schools for being the top three artworks to make it on the Taco Bell Placemat contest.
Every year in conjunction with child abuse awareness month, the Lake County after school programs, ASES have the children in the programs create art to go on the placemats at Taco Bell for the entire month of April. The artwork is hung up in the Lake County Office of Education and voted on for a week. Once the top winners have been selected, placemats are then printed to be used on the trays that the food goes on and shown to all those who dine in Taco Bell. This shows support and awareness as April is national child abuse awareness month.
The 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners received a plaque with their name on it, their original artwork framed, a prize from The Lake County Children’s Council and gift card from Taco Bell.
This awards event kicked off the Lake County Children’s Festival and Advocacy Walk the following day at Library Park in Lakeport.
On April 22 Supervisor Rob Brown opened the day, a prayer was given on behalf of those children suffering and those we have lost, and a flag with a missing child is raised showing that a child met untimely death due to child abuse.
Volunteers, families and participants walk down Main Street in support of awareness.
Arts and crafts, vendors and partners across the county create a free festival for anyone who wants to attend. There are games, prizes, activities, bounce houses and resources for everyone attending.
“The idea here is creating community awareness says, Brock Falkenberg, Lake County Superintendent of schools. Child Abuse is serious and affects each of us but it is only through ALL of us that we can create a community aware and conscious of the realness to this issue.”
