MONASTERY, ANTIGONISH COUNTY, N.S. - East Antigonish Education Centre Grade 3 student Sadie Anderson needs your vote … and soon.
Sadie is a national finalist in the third-annual SC Johnson Professional Happy Hands Contest, for elementary school students. She is also the youngest finalists with her four competitors in either Grade 4 (a student from Edmonton) or Grade 5 (two students from Ontario – Ottawa and Scarborough – and one from Corner Brook, Newfoundland).
The contest is an artistic one as students come up with a soap/sanitizer dispenser design.
“The Happy Hands contest promotes the importance of handwashing at schools by encouraging K to 8 students to use their creative skills and imagination to design a custom soap/sanitizer dispenser,” a SC Johnson release on the contest reads.
“During the winter months, when cold, flu and gastrointestinal outbreaks are more frequent, it’s even more important to encourage frequent handwashing. SC Johnson Professional’s Happy Hands contest is a fun and unique way to remind students about the importance of proper handwashing and the role hand hygiene plays in helping prevent the spread of germs.”
With her clever artwork in hand, Sadie talked about her design.
“Well, the teacher told me to put a lot of colours in it, so I did that,” she said. “He told me not to do too much words, because it’s supposed to be colourful.”
Sadie talked about drawing as more than just a fun activity.
“I’m going to be an artist when I grow up,” she said, confidently.
Asked about her favourite things to draw, Sadie didn’t settle on any particular subject.
“Well, I just think of things and I just draw them,” she said.
In talking about recent art projects at school, Sadie noted a recent holiday themed one which ended up being an ornament.
“It was like a lightbulb with eye balls and a bow on its head,” she said, giggling a little bit as she thought back about the finished artwork.
“It was an ornament and I thought it looked like a reindeer head, but with no nose though.”
Online voting
To help Sadie in the contest, log on to debgroup.com/ca/happy-hands (or surveymonkey.com/r/Z2QTCWJ) and vote. Voting ends at midnight on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14.
You can also vote in the middle school category as well, on the same webpage.
“I was very happy and surprised,” Sadie said with a large smile, when asked about hearing she was a finalist.
The artist receiving the most votes in each category will receive a $200 gift card, and $500 will be donated to their school, along with up-to 500 manual soap/sanitizer dispensers featuring their winning design.
The winner will be announced March 1.