Operation Snowball & Illinois Teen Institute Blog

(Springfield, IL) April 20, 2010. High school students from Quincy, Naperville, Decatur, Elgin, and Highland Park in April walked away with top prizes in a statewide contest to produce youth anti-drinking, anti-drug YouTube videos.

Chapters from across Illinois submitted videos to the competition sponsored by Operation Snowball (OS), a statewide non-profit organization that encourages young people to avoid drugs and alcohol abuse.

Great River OS of Quincy won first place and received a $1,000 cash prize.

Naperville OS snagged second place and Greater Decatur Macon County OS took third. Both earned a $750 cash prize. Fourth and fifth place and the two $500 cash prizes were won by Greater Fox River Valley OS and District 113 Highland Park.

“This contest was designed to encourage youth to develop video messages that could deter their peers from drinking and abusing alcohol,” said Mary Jo Peavy Davies, the Illinois Operation Snowball program manager.

Operation Snowball, partners with the Illinois Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Association, has more than 130 chapters totaling 50,000 youth.

“Operation Snowball focuses on prevention messages that aim primarily at the high school students because at this age they understand the idea behind prevention,” said Davies.

“The video contest was an unique opportunity for these students to develop their own powerful video message on underage drinking prevention and have their creative talent displayed on YouTube before a national audience,” said Davies. “We are very proud of the winners.

The contest received funding from the Larry and Lillian Goodman Foundation.

The videos are at: http://www.youtube.com/user/OperationSnowball?feature=mhw4

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