Westfield Kids Win Awards For Promoting Healthy Choices

WESTFIELD, NJ — The Westfield Municipal Alliance and the Westfield High School Dream Team recognized student finalists in the seventh annual "Palooza Contest" last month at the high school student center. The finalists were from the Westfield Public Schools and Holy Trinity School, grades 1-12.

For the contest, they submitted posters, poetry and public service announcements depicting the theme, “Westfield, We Have Better Things to Do; Healthy Choices, Everyday Choices.”

The Dream Team promotes positive decision-making and healthy choices and creates programs that provide alternatives to underage drinking and drug use. The message of the WHS Dream Team, is “Confidence, Choices, Challenges, Changes.”

The mission of the WHS Dream Team complements the mission of the Westfield Municipal Alliance in providing supplemental substance abuse prevention education in Westfield schools and to the Westfield community.

The Palooza Contest begins each year in October during National Red Ribbon Week. Entries are submitted before the end of November. The finalists are announced and celebrated during a ceremony each January in which family and other members of the community are invited.

The winning posters, poetry, and PSAs are posted on the Westfield Municipal Alliance Facebook page at www.facebook.com/westfieldalliance.

This year’s finalists were: Leah Nott, Mira Nirula, Morgan Moloney, Emilie Scollo, Kevin Aby, Charles Gosda, Desra Sonnek-Schmelz, Zoe Schack, Esme McLaughlin, Isabella Arevalo-Lis, Eleanor Hume, Brody Toriello, Alexandria Brenner, Jake Tannenbaum, Alexa Gonzalez, Riley Gasson and Amanda Rickert.

As a token of appreciation of their hard work, the Albert Anthony Kayal Foundation funded a personal award for the first, second and third place finalists. In addition, the Matthew Thomas Toriello Memorial Fund made a donation on the finalists’ behalf to Imagine, A Center for Coping with Loss, and to the Westfield Rescue Squad.

For more information, visit www.westfieldnj.gov/wma or contact Louise DeDea at westfieldalliance@gmail.com or Lauren Hauser at lhauser@westfieldnjk12.org.