Young Artists Earn Funds for Their Schools Through Illinois American Water’s “Imagine a Day Without Water” Art Contest

Young Illinois artists recently participated in Illinois American Water’s annual “Imagine a Day Without Water art contest.” Entries from 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students depicted what a day without water meant to them and included a related phrase. Of the many entries received, Illinois American Water chose 26 winners, earning those classrooms a $100 donation to be used for supplies or a classroom celebration.

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Artwork by one of the 26 contest winners. This piece was created by Adam Reedy, a 5th Grader at Unity West Elementary in Tolono, Ill.

The winning artwork can be viewed here https://tinyurl.com/yxpw3qo7 on Illinois American Water’s Facebook page. Illinois American Water holds the contest in conjunction with the Value of Water Coalition’s annual “Imagine a Day Without Water” event to raise awareness about the value of water service.

“This art contest helps us educate about water service in a creative way, bringing together both art and science,” said Bruce Hauk, Illinois American Water President. “Though it’s hard to imagine even just one day without water, our young customers, when posed with the question of what a day without water would mean to them, truly understand the impact to fire protection, sanitary services, plants, animals and more.”

The art contest winners are listed below in no particular order:
Marissa Romero, 3rd Grader at St. James Catholic School in Millstadt
Noa Grace Welborn, 5th Grader at Notre Dame Academy in Belleville
Rheece Garavalia, 5th Grader at Blessed Sacrament School in Belleville
Isabel Roche, 4th Grader at Immaculate Conception School in Columbia
Adam Reedy, 5th Grader at Unity West Elementary in Tolono
Danika Eisenmenger, 5th Grader at Unity West Elementary in Tolono
Jordan Hamilton, 3rd Grader at Unity East Elementary in Tolono
Deborah Kim, 5th Grader at Bottenfield Elementary in Champaign
Addilyn Bent-Perzee, 5th Grader at Fisher Grade School in Fisher
Jade Polen, 3rd Grader at Central School in Lincoln
Makayla Curry, 5th Grader at Central School in Lincoln
Madison Bassett, 5th Grader at St. Ambrose Catholic School in Godfrey
Madelyn Hudanick, 5th Grader at St. Ambrose Catholic School in Godfrey
Colton Nevins, 3rd Grader at North Elementary School in Godfrey
Iliana Ursch, 5th Grader at East Elementary in Alton
Lahla Thompson, 5th Grader at Northlawn Junior High in Streator
Claire VonHolten, 5th Grader at St. Mary’s School in Sterling
Lily Sipe, 4th Grader at St. Mary’s School in Pontiac
Allison Ramirez, 5th Grader at St. Mark School in Peoria
Emily Kauffman, 4th Grader at St. Vincent School in Peoria
Rafferty Arnold, 4th Grader at St. Jude Catholic School in Peoria
Malaika Ford, 3rd Grader at Pleasant Hill School in Peoria
Janie Fischesser, 4th Grader at St. Michael Parish School in Wheaton
Grace Timmons at St. Michael Parish School in Wheaton
Francis Anthony Jackson, 3rd Grader at Reed School in Homer Glen
Diana Reza-Zavala, 4th Grader at St. Peter School in South Beloit

Hauk added, “We want to thank our local educators for taking time to talk to their students about the value of water. Our team was impressed with the number and quality of entries received from across the state.”

The winning artwork may be featured in future Illinois American Water customer communications.

About Illinois American Water

Illinois American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately 1.3 million people. American Water also operates a customer service center in Alton and a quality control and research laboratory in Belleville. With a history dating back to 1886, American Water is the largest and most geographically diverse U.S. publicly traded water and wastewater utility company. The company employs more than 7,100 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and market-based drinking water, wastewater and other related services to more than 14 million people in 46 states. American Water provides safe, clean, affordable and reliable water services to our customers to make sure we keep their lives flowing. For more information, visit www.amwater.com and follow American Water on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

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Karen Cotton
External Affairs Manager
309.566.4126
[email protected]