PHOENIX (April 22, 2009) – For sixth grader Kara Lanese of Desert Sage Elementary School, creating the Clean Air Make More Mascot and slogan was a breeze. The winning drawing of the Clean Air Make More Mascot Contest shows ‘Cory the Cloud’ with outreaching arms and the slogan, ‘we share the air, keep it clean.’
“Kara’s drawing best represented the Clean Air Make More campaign and we are proud to use her picture as inspiration for the mascot,” said Max Wilson, chairman, Maricopa County Board of Supervisors; District 4.
On Wednesday, April 15, Kara Lanese’s drawing was chosen from nearly 300 other entries as part of the Maricopa County Air Quality Department’s Clean Air Make More Mascot Contest. Valley students in kindergarten through sixth grade were asked to create the program’s very own clean air mascot. As the winner, Kara will win a brand new lime green BMX bike from KORE Bike Industries in Tempe and her drawing will be used to inspire the Clean Air Make More Mascot. The winning drawing, as well as all of the runners up, can be seen at www.CleanAirMakeMore.com. When asked why she chose to draw a cloud for the Clean Air Make More Mascot Contest, Kara said, “it just made sense to me, I always thought clouds were clean and they should always stay clean.”
All of the students who submitted drawings for the Kids for Clean Air Mascot Contest are listed as Clean Air Champions on Maricopa County Air Quality Department’s Clean Air Make More website - http://www.cleanairmakemore.com/mascot-contest.html.
“Educating our children about ways in which they can positively affect the air quality will only help to create public awareness, a very important component of all the Air Quality Department’s programs,” stated Lawrence Odle, director of the Maricopa County Air Quality Department.
This contest is just one piece of the Maricopa County Kids for Clean Air School Outreach Program launched earlier this year. Other components of this program include lesson plans, a free Kids Club membership and a calendar contest which will take place in fall 2009. The Kids Club is a fun group where kids who sign up to become members receive an official Kids Club identification card, a quarterly newsletter about air pollution and a fun air quality activity book which teaches them ways to create more clean air.
More information regarding the Clean Air Make More school outreach program can be downloaded at www.CleanAirMakeMore.com/education. For complete details about the Clean Air Make More school outreach program or for more information contact Erin Dunsey at 602-506-6751.
About Maricopa County Air Quality Department
The Maricopa County Air Quality Department is a regulatory agency whose goal is to ensure federal clean air standards are achieved and maintained for the residents and visitors of Maricopa County. The department is governed by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and follows air quality standards set forth by the Federal Clean Air Act.
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