March 10, 2006 - St. Lucie County Students Win Cash Prizes for Imagination Station Recycling Contest

The St. Lucie County Solid Waste Department teamed up with several partners including Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers, Clear Channel, Youth Leadership Council, C.D.M, Culpepper Terpening, Waste Pro, Harbortown Marina and the City of Port St. Lucie to organize the Imagination Station Toy/Game Invention Contest. The Imagination Station contest's goal was to promote a message of environmental awareness. St. Lucie County Waste Reduction Manager, Jacquie Burgess, will present the winners of the contest with their prizes at the Board of County Commissioners' meeting on Tuesday, March 28 at 9 a.m. The meeting is held at the County Commission chambers located at 2300 Virginia Avenue in Fort Pierce.

Alexandra Franklin, inventor of the "Air Boat," is a fifth grade student attending Morningside Elementary who won the elementary school prize of $3,000. Chloe Sanders, inventor of "Ryan the Recycling Bear," is a sixth grade student at Lincoln Park Academy Middle School and she won $4,000. Corey Watford, inventor of "The Pepsi Challenge Chess & Checker Set," is a 9th grade home-schooled student who won the high school prize of $6,000.

St. Lucie County students from kindergarten through 12th grades were eligible to enter the contest. One stipulation was all entries must be functional and original, but most importantly, made of 50% reused/recycled materials. Participants in the Imagination Station contest were allowed to use any type of reusable materials including materials from around the house, school or even from the trash. The three contest categories were elementary, middle and high school and the 65 entries received were as diverse as the materials used. Other memorable entries received included "The Hurricane Survival Game," Escaping Space and School Busters.

For more information regarding the Imagination Station Contest, contact Jacquie Burgess at (772) 462-5678.