Boulder Middle Schooler Wins Statewide Radon Poster Contest

BOULDER, CO -- Manhattan Middle School student Alianna Gaffney took home top honors as winner of a statewide poster contest put on by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, the department announced this week. Colorado students aged 9-14 were eligible for the competition, which was designed to increase awareness of the dangers of radon. Student posters could focus on one of five topic areas: What is radon?; Where does radon come from?; How does radon get into our homes?; radon can cause lung cancer; and test your home for radon.

The top three entries in Colorado will be entered in a nationwide competition sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency. Gaffney's submission, entitled "Share Knowledge, Share Awareness", also won her a $300 prize.

The third place winner, Ruby Lortie, is also a student at Manhattan. Second place went to Kate Purvis from Skyview Middle School in Colorado Springs.

“This contest is a fun way to educate children and encourage residents to test their homes for radon,” said Chrystine Kelley, radon program manager for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment in a statement. “Radon testing is easy to do, and it’s the only sure way to tell whether or not your home is affected by radon, which occurs naturally in the soil.”

According to the Colorado Department for Public Health and the Environment, long-term exposure to radon, a colorless and odorless radioactive gas, is the most frequent cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers and the second-leading cause of lung cancer in smokers. Exposure to radon is responsible for approximately 21,000 lung cancer deaths in the United States each year.

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Image: Winning Poster design by Alianna Gaffney of Boulder. Provided courtesy Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment.