Poster winner donates prizes to kids in need

Austin Lamb, pictured in the center,  a regional winner in the Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day poster contest donates his prizes to school children in need. 

Normally when someone wins a prize, the winner keeps everything for themselves. For one youngster, winning means giving to others in need.

Austin Lamb, a statewide and regional winner of the Kansas Department of Transportation’s Put the Brakes on Fatalities poster contest, takes an extra interest in participating each year.

His interest stems from when his dad was hit by a car while on duty as an Osage County Sheriff’s Office Deputy. Lamb witnessed the accident and now actively promotes traffic and law enforcement safety by entering this contest.

This is Lamb’s way of trying to make a difference at this age. His poster this year encourages drivers to pay attention when you see those in uniform helping stranded motorists.The various officers assisting communities across Kansas are keeping us safe  and Lamb wants everyone to keep officers safe as well.

Austin Lamb's winning design encourages drivers to pay attention when officers are assisting other motorists. 

For being a statewide and regional winner, Lamb won several prizes including:  A new bike, a bike helmet, a Kindle Fire Tablet and case, a $50 Amazon gift card and a $50 Wal-Mart card. 

This is the second year that Lamb was the regional poster contest winner and this year he is donating his bike from last year to a child in need.  Lamb also plans to donate the new Kindle Fire Tablet, tablet case, and Amazon gift card to his school. These gifts from Lamb will be raffled or auctioned off; and all proceeds will be used to purchase sports balls for elementary students to use for recess. 

Lamb would like to thank the group of people that attended his presentation:  His dad Richard, his mom Nancy, his sister Taylor, and his Grandma Beverly. He would also like to thank Lieutenant Dax Lewis of the Kansas Highway Patrol, Deputy Scott Brenner of the Osage County Sheriff’s Office, Deputy Robert Brenner of the Osage County Sheriff’s Office and the Osage City Chief of Police Fred Nech. 

Kansas youth use creativity to focus on improving traffic safety

These artists don’t need a driver’s license to understand what it means to practice safe driving.

During the weeks that led up to the Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day, children from across the state were encouraged to illustrate creative posters that would educate drivers about traffic safety.

More than 1,000 young artists submitted their designs to the Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day poster contest and Nora Ackermann of Andover, Austin Lamb of Osage City and Alyson Welch of Overland Park are the statewide winners.

Nora Ackermann of Andover is a statewide winner in the 5-7 age group.

Each of the winning artists were first selected as a regional winner and they will each receive a bicycle and helmet donated by Safe Kids Kansas at individual presentations that will take place at their schools.

Austin Lamb of Osage City, is a statewide winner in the 8-10 age group.

Each student will also receive a Kindle Fire tablet from the Kansas Turnpike Authority, a $50 gift card from the Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association of Kansas, a $50 gift card from Wal-Mart and movie passes from AAA Kansas.

Alyson Welch of Overland Park, is a statewide winner in the 11-13 age group. 

More than 50 entries from teens in 25 Kansas schools were received in the annual video contest. Kansas teens were asked to submit traffic safety videos up to a minute in length.

Students from Eudora High School won first place. The class will receive their choice of an iPad, GoPro or Osmo Steadicam along with a $500 donation to the school.

 Andrew Tabb from Shawnee Mission West High School captured second place. Kodi Rogers and Aly Tarrango from Scott City High School placed third in the video contest. Each will receive one of the remaining prizes listed above.

You can view all three of the winning videos here: 

KDOT, along with the KTA, the Kansas Highway Patrol, AAA Kansas, Kansas Contractors Association, Kansas Family Partnership, Kansas Traffic Safety Resource Office, Federal Highway Administration and the Kansas Society of Professional Engineers all worked together to make the Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day safety campaign a success.

Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day is a nationwide effort to increase roadway safety and reduce all traffic fatalities. For more information and a list of all the winners across Kansas, go to www.ksdot.org and click on the Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day information.

Contests aim to Put the Brakes on Fatalities

Kansas kids can win great prizes and learn about traffic safety by participating in poster and video contests as part of the annual Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day safety campaign.

Poster contest: For Kansas kids ages 5 to 13 - three statewide winners will each receive:

sKindle Fire Tablet and case from the Kansas Turnpike Authority;

s$50 gift card from Wal Mart;

s$50 Amazon gift card from the Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store

Association of Kansas;

sMovie passes from AAA Kansas.

A total of 18 regional winners in the six regions and age groups (ages 5-7, ages 8-10 and ages 11-13) will receive a bicycle and a helmet from Safe Kids Kansas. Poster entries must be postmarked by Friday, Sept. 22. Information and entry forms are available here.

Video contest: For Kansas teens in grades 8-12. Prizes include an iPad, a Go Pro and a DJI Osmo camera, and the school of the grand prize winner will receive $500 for its booster club. Video entries must be posted by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 24. Information to submit entries is available here.

The Kansas Department of Transportation, the Kansas Highway Patrol and other traffic safety organizations are sponsoring the contests.

Previous winners from the last years’ contest are listed below and can be found here

2016 Poster Contest Winners -

Northeast Kansas - Evangeline Ensign, Olathe; Austin Lamb, Osage City; Sierra de Koning, Axtell

North Central Kansas - Geni Turk, Barnes; Kelsay Mueller, Palmer; Jaydrian Jackson, Clifton

Northwest Kansas - Lucas Hansen, Almena; Christian Miller, Gorham; Makenzie Storz, Phillipsburg

Southeast Kansas - Brooklyn Green-Lawson, Riverton; Maelee Dunn, Galena; Thea Hetlinger, Parsons

South Central Kansas - Adain Smith, Andover; Von Woleslagel, Hutchinson; Natalie Williams, Great Bend

Southwest Kansas - Cadence Sherman, Meade; Kayleigh Flores, Moscow; David Doan, Garden City                               

2016 Video Contest winners –

sStudents from Wichita East High School won first place.

sStudents in Cardinal Productions at Eudora High School won second place. sStudents from Spring Hill Middle School won third place.