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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 7, 2024
RADIO CONTEST WINNER CHAMPIONS DRINKING WATER PROTECTION
Belleville, Ont. – Creative sound waves reverberated through the Quinte Conservation watershed as young minds competed in our Drinking Water Protection Radio Contest.
The second annual radio contest invited Grades 4 to 8 students, including split Grade classes, to craft a 30-second radio ad on protecting drinking water. From 22 entries across six classes from schools in the Algonquin & Lakeshore Catholic District School Board and the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board, one voice stood out—Alex Eveland, a Grade 3 student from St. Mary Catholic School.
"We were blown away by the creativity and passion displayed by all the students. Alex's radio ad was exactly what Quinte Conservation was looking for. What set Alex's ad apart from all the other submissions was Alex's enthusiasm for protecting drinking water. Several ads had great messaging, but you could hear the passion and excitement in Alex's voice,” says Natasha Mathieu, Source Water Protection Outreach Lead, Quinte Conservation.
Eveland, 9, was invited to professionally record his ad at Loyalist College’s 91X radio station, which can be heard on air until May 19. He also received a tour of the recording studio.
"I liked that I got to be in front of a big mic and be inside the radio rooms. I liked hearing my voice knowing that was going to be on the radio,” says Eveland.
When asked what he learned about protecting drinking water, Eveland adds, “I learned that if you don’t protect your drinking water it could go bad and not be as good as it used to be. That’s why I wrote you shouldn’t put chemicals down the drain.”
Eveland’s winning radio ad not only captured the essence of protecting our drinking water sources but also secured exciting prizes for his entire class. On Friday, May 3, Eveland and his classmates received a free ride from Parkhurst Transportation to the Gerry O'Connor Water Treatment Plant in Belleville, Ont. where they spent the morning touring and learning the five-unit processes of treating drinking water: chemical coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, filtration, and disinfection.
His class also received a Water Rangers Education Test Kit courtesy of Let’s Talk Science through Loyalist College and enjoyed a pizza lunch provided by Westside Pizza Factory.
"We are grateful to our local businesses and organizations for their generous support of the Drinking Water Protection Radio Contest and our community's students. Their commitment to source water protection and education is inspiring and vital for the future of our drinking water sources. Thank you for helping to make this contest a success,” says Mathieu.
To hear Eveland’s winning ad, please visit quinteconservation.ca/swp-radio-contest or Quinte Conservation’s YouTube channel.
About Quinte Conservation
Quinte Conservation is a community-based environmental protection agency that serves 18 municipalities in the watersheds of the Moira, Napanee and Salmon Rivers, and Prince Edward County. Our programs, services and working alongside residents create a sustainable ecosystem where people and nature live in harmony. More information about Quinte Conservation is available at www.quinteconservation.ca.
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For immediate inquiries, contact:
Taylor Hermiston
Communications Coordinator
613-968-3434
thermiston@quinteconservation.ca
Photos: Top - Alex Eveland, a Grade 3 student from St. Mary Catholic School, records his radio ad at his ad at Loyalist College’s 91X radio station. Bottom - Ms. Garland's Grade 3/4 class from St. Mary Catholic School tour the Gerry O'Connor Water Treatment Plant in Belleville, Ont.
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