Holiday Drawing Contest Offers An Array Of Prizes

If your children have visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads, encourage them to grab some paper and illustrate their imaginations in the annual Christmas Seals Kids’ Drawing Contest.

The contest is sponsored by The Triaminic Parents Club, (launched by the Triaminic company, makers of cough and cold medicines) to help the American Lung Association fight asthma, tuberculosis and other forms of lung disease.

Youngsters between 6 and 15 years old can express their holiday spirit by submitting a hand-drawn Christmas Seals design which illustrates the theme “Feeling Good at the Holidays.”

Impressive prizes will be awarded to winners chosen from every state. The grand prize winner’s design will be featured as the 1997 Christmas Seal mailed to 28 million households as part of American Lung Association’s annual fund-raising campaign.

Merely by entering the contest, children help other children with breathing disorders.

For each entry received, the Triaminic Parents Club will donate $1 to the American Lung Association. Last year, 80,000 children entered the drawing contest.

To enter, children should obtain an official entry form by calling (800) LUNG-USA. Entry information can also be found in the December issue of Parents magazine. Entry forms may be photocopied for multiple entries. A child may enter more than once, but each drawing must be unique.

Young artists then draw, in color, their holiday vision of the theme on a sheet of 8-by-11-inch white, unlined paper.

The drawing must be done in markers, crayons or colored pencils. Do not use paint, watercolor, glitter, stickers, photography or computer art.

Print the child’s name and date of birth on the back of the drawing and tape a completed entry form to the illustration.

Mail entries to: Christmas Seals Kids’ Drawing Contest, P.O. Box 25559, Rochester, NY 14625-0559. All entries must be received by March 31.

This year’s state winners will receive a My First Sony Electronic Sketch Pad. The grand prize winner will receive a multimedia computer, color printer and graphics software.

If the grand prize winning entry is submitted as part of a classroom assignment, the supervising teacher will be awarded a $1,000 classroom grant.

The Christmas Seal was first created in 1907 and sold for a penny apiece to raise money to fight tuberculosis. Since 1954, the the lung association began using professional and amateur artists to create the seals, encouraging community participation.

Since 1993, children’s art is highlighted through the drawing contest which has become a holiday tradition while helping fund a worthy organization.

Children’s health and safety information:

More than 1 million parents have joined the Triaminic Parents Club committed to helping parents raise healthy children.

Membership is free to receive the Parents Club magazine with articles on children’s health and safety issues and money-saving offers on videos, bicycle helmets and other safety products.

To join, call (800) 330-9876, or write to: The Triaminic Parents Club, P.O. Box 2032, West Caldwell, NJ 07007.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo

MEMO: The Family Track is a weekly column of notes and information for families. Send items to Lynn Gibson, Features Department, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210-1615, or fax (509) 459-5098.