U.S. Cellular, Mayor Bowers and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia Announce the Winners of the 5th Annual Black History Month Art Contest

Mayor David Bowers joined U.S. Cellular and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia Tuesday, March 6, 2012, to announce the winners of the wireless carrier’s 5th Annual Black History Month Art Program at the Boys & Girls Club’s 9th Street Location in Roanoke, Va.


“It is a pleasure to celebrate the creative talents of young people in Roanoke and beyond, while reinforcing our rich heritage,” said Mayor Bowers. “This contest is a great way for children in our community to explore and celebrate our rich and diverse culture.”

During the month of February, club members 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. The top 10 finalists’ entries were on display during February at U.S. Cellular stores in Salem, Roanoke and Christiansburg, where the public voted for their favorites.  The finalists were chosen from a collaboration of over 10 area clubs in Roanoke, Salem and the New River Valley.

“U.S. Cellular is proud to offer activities that create educational opportunities for students,” said Bertram Daniels, area sales manager for U.S. Cellular in the Mid-Atlantic. “Every year we continue to be impressed by the amazing works of art these students create.”

The winners of this year’s contest are: 

• First Place – Logan Baker of Bonsack Elementary School in Roanoke, won a $500 gift certificate for a portrait of Deion Branch.
• Second Place – Donovan Starkey of James Madison Middle School in Roanoke won a $200 gift certificate for a portrait of Duke Ellington.
• Third Place – Aleyda Galvan of James Breckinridge Middle School in Roanoke won a $100 gift certificate for a portrait of Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Pres. Barack Obama.
• Kid’s Choice – Donovan Starkey also won a $50 gift certificate for his portrait of Duke Ellington.  This award was chosen by club members.

Since the program’s inception five years ago 1,500 Boys & Girls Club members have participated in the contest and the club received hundreds of submissions from all 10 area clubs in Roanoke and the New River Valley before narrowing the field to the final 10 contestants. In addition, U.S. Cellular would like to congratulate the winners by displaying the artwork in the stores during the month of March. 

 

“We are thankful to have an advocate and partner in U.S. Cellular to celebrate Black History Month.  For the fifth year in a row, this contest provided the perfect opportunity for our club members to research African-American leaders and use their creative skills to depict one of their favorite role models through art,” said Laurie Gibbons, chief professional officer, Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia.

 

Photo Caption: Pictured here (left to right, back row)   Bertram Daniels, area sales manager for U.S. Cellular, and Mayor David Bowers pose with the winners of U.S. Cellular's Black History Month Art Contest from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia (left to right, front row) Donovan Starkey who won second place and the kid's choice award, and Logan Baker who won first place. Not pictured is Aleyda Galvan who won third place.

About U.S. Cellular
U.S. Cellular rewards its customers with unmatched benefits and industry-leading innovations designed to elevate the customer experience. The Chicago-based carrier has a strong line-up of cutting-edge devices that are all backed by its high-speed nationwide network that has the highest call quality of any national carrier. U.S. Cellular was named a J.D. Power and Associates 2011 Customer Service Champion and received PC Magazine’s 2011 Readers’ Choice Award. To learn more about U.S. Cellular, visit one of its retail stores or uscellular.com. To get the latest news, promos and videos, connect with U.S. Cellular on Facebook.com/uscellular, Twitter.com/uscellular and YouTube.com/uscellularcorp.

About the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia was incorporated in 1997, when it was known as The Boys & Girls Club of Roanoke Valley.  Since then, Clubs throughout Roanoke and in the New River Valley have arisen with the support of the original Roanoke club at 9th Street in SE Roanoke. Together, the clubs now operate as a regional effort, working together to maximize resources and serve children.  The organization is affiliated with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the nation's fastest growing youth development agency.  Regionally, over 1,000 youth in the Roanoke and New River Valley areas have become members.  Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia is committed to the positive development of quality after school and summer site at www.bgcswva.org.