McHenry County students win Metra safety poster and essay contest

Metra recently announced the winners of its 2019-20 Safety Poster and Essay Contest.

Madeline Trannel, a seventh-grader at Richard Bernotas Middle School in Crystal Lake, won first place for her essay in the fifth- to eighth-grade division.

Cary-Grove High School's Addisyn Donfris was second in the poster contest in 10th grade; Cary-Grove's Hannah Lamb was third in the poster contest in 10th grade; Mia Vietmeier, a fifth grader at Eastview Elementary School in Algonquin, earned honorable mention in the essay and poster contests; and Cary-Grove's Dino Tselikis earned honorable mention in the poster category in 10th grade.

Metra received more than 500 entries from students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Students created posters and essays with the theme "Obey the Signs: Look, Listen, Live."

The winners were selected through a three-round process with the finalists judged by a panel of 14 that included government officials, representatives from safety and education advocacy groups, business and community leaders, law enforcement, media and railroad professionals.

“It’s wonderful to see students participate in this contest and learn the importance of staying safe near the railroad,” Metra Executive Director and CEO Jim Derwinski said.

First-place poster and essay contest winners receive an iPad, and second- and third-place poster winners receive $250 and $100 gift cards, respectively. A People's Choice Award will be selected by voting that ended June 5 at metrarail.com.

The student who receives the most votes will receive an additional $250 prize. The winner of the People’s Choice Award will be announced during a Metra board meeting June 17.