Art Contest - Area High Schools

The Florissant Valley Fire Protection District held an art contest for the four high schools in the fire district. Each school was asked to come up with a design that would be used on a t-shirt to represent the 3 firehouses and adminstration building. The firefighters worked with the Art Directors at each school. The Art Directors narrowed down the drawings submitted and the employees at each firehouse and administration building, along with Board of Directors voted on the winner for each location. All the prizes and printing of the t-shirts were donated. Donations were received from the following: Wright Construction Company, Goldmark Enterprises, Basket Case, Best Buy, Carquest, Club Fitness, Dan Bruntrager, Family Denistry, Florissant Professional Firefighters, Huntleigh McGehee, Jim Foley, Michaels, MMS Medical Supply, Retail Flooring Solutions, Rick Rognan, and St. Louis Bank. A big thanks goes out to all our sponsors.

The winners from each school attended the prize presentation on Monday, November 24, 2008 prior to the Board meeting. The winners were announced and prizes were awarded as follows:

1st Place -- Mike Piwowarczyk, Hazelwood Central High School -- Won a Computer, $625 and three t-shirts.

2nd Place -- Daniel Hounshell, North County Christian School -- Won $525, gift basket from Michaels and three t-shirts.

3rd Place -- Christal Haynes, McCluer High School -- Won $425, gift basket from Michaels and three t-shirts.

4th Place -- Mark Welty, McCluer North -- Won $325, gift basket from Michaels and three t-shirts.

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The following article is from the Suburban Journals:

Students design logos for fire district contest
Winning entries to adorn district T-shirts

By Brian Flinchpaugh, Suburban Journals, Tuesday, December 2, 2008 3:17 AM CST

Michael Piwowarczyk wasn't expecting quite the payoff for winning first place last week in an art contest sponsored by the Florissant Valley Fire Protection District.
"I just would have been happy with a few T-shirts," said a very surprised Piwowarczyk, a senior at Hazelwood Central High School, as he surveyed his haul. He did win some T-shirts, but he didn't expect the Macintosh computer with a 20-inch screen, software and $625.
The fire district had asked students to design logos to go on the back of the T-shirts worn by firefighters and paramedics at the district's three firehouses. District officials chose four designs from 20 entries.
Piwowarczyk's design was based on a family crest. Its prominent features included a Maltese cross (an image used by firemen), the number "343" (the number of firefighters and paramedics in the district) and a face of a helmeted firefighter. Red is a prominent color.
The students received their awards Nov. 24, prior to the district's board of directors meeting at House 1 on St. Catherine Street.
Winners included Daniel Hounshell, a freshman at North County Christian School, who placed second and received T-shirts, a gift basket and $525; Christal Haynes, a senior at McCluer High School who received T-shirts, a gift basket and $425; and Mark Welty, a senior at McCluer North High School, who received a gift basket, T-shirts and $325.
Patrick Jones, a firefighter for the district who helped organize the contest, said the district wanted to do something to get high school students involved. The district worked with art teachers from high schools in their coverage area - McCluer, McCluer North, Hazelwood Central and North County Christian School - to seek entries for the contest.
The district also beat the bushes for prizes.
"We had a huge sponsorship," Jones said.
Sponsors included Bexel Care, Best Buy, Car Quest, Club Fitness, the Florissant Professional Fire Fighters Association, Goldmark Enterprises, Huntleigh Inc. and Florissant Mayor Robert Lowery.
Piwowarczyk said the Macintosh, designed especially for graphic artists, would be perfect for his classes now and in the future.
"I'm trying to get into the Kansas City Art Institute," he said.
And what will he buy with the cash?
His mother, Debbie Piwowarczyk, gently interjected that Michael has been putting almost all of the money he gets from a part time job into savings for a car.
"I don't think he is going to spend it," she said.

Brian Flinchpaugh photo - The designs by the four winners of the Florissant Valley Fire Protection District's art contest will be used as logos on shirts worn by firefighters and paramedics. The student winners (from left) are Michael Piwowarczyk, Hazelwood Central High School, first place; Christal Haynes, McCluer High School, third place; Daniel Hounshell, North County Christian School, second place; and Mark Welty, McCluer North High School, fourth place.