Dec. 18—WILKES-BARRE — Two Luzerne County students are among the winners of the District Attorney’s Office’s 28th annual drug-free calendar contest.
Attorney General Michelle Henry on Wednesday congratulated Leonis Magallanes, a student at Hanover Area Memorial Elementary School, and Jayden Beach, who is from Lehman-Jackson Elementary School. Leonis’ photo is on the calendar for February and Jayden’s artwork will appear in August.
In October, National Substance Abuse Prevention Month, Commonwealth fifth-grade students were encouraged to create an original piece of art that illustrates a drug-free message.
The winning artwork from 13 students was selected to appear on the 2025 calendar, which will be distributed throughout the state in an effort to educate the public about the dangers of drug use.
“Our annual calendar competition is about celebrating the talents of our amazing students and encouraging young people to make smart, safe choices,” Henry said. “Fighting the addiction epidemic remains one of my top priorities, and a big part of our collective approach is education to keep young people from experimenting or trying illicit substances. This calendar empowers our students to be leaders in communicating messages that can save lives and keep people healthy.”
Each month in the calendar is represented by a piece of artwork by a Pennsylvania student. Additionally, a student illustration was used for the front of the calendar.
The winners were chosen from more than 1,800 entries from 402 schools in 43 provinces, based on the artists’ creativity, ability to illustrate and inclusion of a drug-free message.
Each selected student will receive a certificate and a $529 contribution to their Pennsylvania 529 College Savings Program, which is overseen by the Pennsylvania Treasury Department.
The following students have been named winners of the 2025 Drug Free Calendar Competition:
– Cover: Lily Tirk, St. Wendelin Catholic School, Butler County.
—January: John Webb, Our Lady of Perpetual Help School, Northampton County.
—February: Leonis Magallanes, Memorial Elementary School, Luzerne County.
– March: Claire Li, Cecil Intermediate School, Washington County.
—April: Adalynne Williams, St Joseph School, Clarion County.
—May: Isis Dawson, Blue Mountain Elementary West, Schuylkill County.
—June: Caitlin Butcher, Moon Area Middle School, Allegheny County.
—July: Yaara Mohideen Bilal, South Fayette Intermediate School, Allegheny County.
—August: Jayden Beach, Lehman-Jackson Elementary School, Luzerne County.
September: Alexia Young, Chestnut Ridge Middle School, Bedford County.
—October: Violet Uher, Panther Valley Intermediate School, Carbon County.
—November: Ila Doran, South Saint Mary’s Elementary School, Elk County.
—December: Charlotte Sollenberger, Mowrey Elementary School, Franklin County.
Go to https://bit.ly/3ZAZ2xS to view the calendar.
The drug-free calendar competition is funded through the Community Drug Abuse Prevention Fund. Fines and penalties collected for certain violations, such as drunk driving, contribute to the fund.
Agents and specialists from the Public Prosecution Service visit schools throughout the year to meet children and educate them about the importance of staying drug-free.
The programs include customized lessons, interactive presentations and messages that speak directly to the audience.
For more information about these programs, visit www.attorneygeneral.gov or call the Attorney General’s office at 1-833-OAG-4YOU.
Reach Bill O’Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.
