Galena student receives prestigious recognition
Feb. 28—From staff reports
GALENA, Kan. — Dakota Bennett, a seventh grade student at Galena Schools, was named a merit winner in the 33rd annual Lions Club International Peace Poster Contest.
Bennett, 12, was selected, along with 23 others from a pool of 600,000 students from 50 nations worldwide. Lions Club International sponsors this annual program to give students ages 11-13 the opportunity to express their vision of peace. This year's theme was "Peace Through Service."
"In my poster, I am depicting all the service industries that bring peace to the world," Bennett said in a release. "The sunset represents the beauty that peace brings."
Her poster was selected for its originality, artistic merit and portrayal of the contest theme. She will receive a cash prize of $500 and a certificate of merit from Lions Club International as well as having her poster displayed at the United Nations in March and the Lions Club International annual convention in July. There, the grand-prize winner will be announced.
"Our Lions Club is so proud of Dakota," said Galena Route 66 Lions Club President Steve Billington. "We're excited that her art is not just being recognized, it's also being shared with others around the world."
He said he's impressed by the expression and creativity of all the students at Galena who submitted artwork and is grateful to the guidance provided them from their art director and teacher, Danielle Cruse.
"The Galena School District and Cruse has allowed our club to sponsor this contest for Galena students for the past five years, and each year, we are amazed at the level of talent that is displayed by those students," he said in the release. "It's obvious that these young people have strong ideas about what peace means to them. Their talent and their vision of the world is truly inspiring."
