Pinto Shows 'Power' Of Art

Nikolos Pinto, a fourth-grader at , recently won a t-shirt design contest sponsored by National Grid and the Green Education Foundation — securing a $250 donation to his school and a trip to see the Boston Red Sox for his classmates.

Timothy F. Horan, president of R.I./N.H. National Grid, explained that the "Power of Action" contest was open to elementary school students Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. Out of hundreds of designs, Pinto's took top honors.

As Nikolos and his classmates embarked on drawing their designs with the theme of protecting the planet, he asked his mother Elizabeth Sierra for advice. Elizabeth encouraged him to draw what he wanted, and he used an art supply kit he got as a Christmas present from his godmother, Shauna Moriarty.

After submitting Pinto's design, art teacher Donna Pringle said the suspense built among the students in her class.

"Every day the kids would ask me if I heard anything from the 'Power of Action' t - shirt design contest," Pringle recalled, adding she had to tell them no word yet — until the decision was made.

Thousands of National Grid employees served as judges and viewed the hundreds of art design submissions, and after the review process, the school got word that Nikolos's art design — a family tree incorporated into the theme of helping the planet, with a squirrel holding a sign that says "Please help! Recycle! — had been chosen to appear on t-shirts worn by New England National Grid employees at different volunteer sites.

Nikolos and his classmates also got the chance to show off the new design at the April 29 Red Sox game at Fenway Park, and Nikolos kicked off the game by calling "Play ball!"

Nikolos's fourth grade class also received "Green Keeper" certificates of achievement from National Grid and GEF. Principal Michelle Tempella said the $250 donation will go towards buying more art supplies, as art teacher Donna Pringle is planning to enter the students in the Narragansett Bay art contest this spring.