May 14, 1998

SPRINGFIELD, ILL. — Kindergarten students from St. Joan of Arc School in Lisle and fifth graders from Piper School in Berwyn were the winners in contests to promote Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC), Dr. John R. Lumpkin, state public health director, announced today.

"All of the entries were great and we appreciate the participation of the students, teachers and their schools," Dr. Lumpkin said. "The most important byproduct is that children throughout Illinois have a better understanding of emergency medical care as a result of this competition.

"As adults, we know that with the appropriate resources and with adequately trained emergency medical personnel, we can improve outcomes for critically ill and injured children. That is what we hope to accomplish through the Emergency Medical Services for Children program."

The St. Joan of Arc kindergartners, who are taught by Mary Fennell, were selected from more than 850 entries received from throughout the state as the winners of the contest to name the bear that symbolizes the EMSC program. The bear will be known as EMMY, which stands for Emergency Medicine is a Must for the Young. Kindergarten through third grade students were eligible for the "Name the Bear" contest.

The fifth grade class at Piper School in Berwyn was chosen as the winner of the "Be Bear-y Safe" poster contest from among more than 800 entries submitted by fourth through sixth graders. The students were asked to draw a picture that illustrates ways to keep safe, such as use of roller blade/bicycle helmets, knee pads, seatbelts or smoke alarms.

The St. Joan of Arc class will be recognized at Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, on Wednesday (May 20) as part of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week (May 17-23). The children will receive a certificate from Dr. Lumpkin, an EMSC Bear pin, a Winnie the Pooh bear donated by Mattel Toys and chocolates donated by Hersheys.

The students also will tour the EMS Open House/Safety Fair at the medical center. Students will be able to inspect an EMS helicopter and ambulance, to participate in a clinic where their teddy bears will be treated, to review a video on utilizing the 9-1-1 system and to visit various exhibits.

For winning the poster contest, the Piper School class and its teacher, Sandra Marciniak, will receive certificates and be guests at the Chicago Cubs game with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday in Wrigley Field. One of the students will be picked to throw out the first ball.

The 17 students and one sixth-grade class selected as honorable mentions in the poster contest each will receive a $10 gift certificate from Toys R Us. Their posters, plus the winning poster, will be featured in a calendar to be issued next year.

The honorable mention winners were Caitlin Corcoran, St. Eugene Grade School, Chicago; Matthew Dziubanski, Plainfield Grade School, Des Plaines; Cheryl Floramo's sixth grade class, Northeast Elementary School, Evergreen Park; Margaret Griesemer, St. Joan of Arc School, Lisle; Bre Harbison, Dee-Mack Middle School, Deer Creek; Christina Hart, Bluford Grade School, Bluford; Allison Johnson, Springfield Grade School, Midlothian; Elizabeth Keane, Holy Cross Grade School, Champaign; Preston Ogden, Raymond Grade School, Raymond; Shannon O'Shea, St. Alexander Grade School, Palos Heights; Samantha Jo Phillips, West Pike Elementary School, Hull; Denisse Pina, Oak Terrace Grade School, Highwood; Sarah Renee Richardson, South Pekin Grade School, South Pekin; Jessica Ruiz, Elmwood Grade School, Elmwood Park; Sarah Skeels, St. Mark's Grade School, Peoria; Caleb Stroud, Frankfort Elementary School, West Frankfort; Ashley Wisniewski, Arbury Hills Grade School, Mokena; and Amanda Zornow, Harnew Grade School, Oak Lawn.

The contests were jointly sponsored by the EMSC program, which is a collaborative effort of the Illinois Department of Public Health and Loyola University Medical Center, and the Illinois State Board of Education.

The Illinois EMSC program, which is housed at Loyola University Medical Center, began in 1994 with a statewide evaluation of pediatric emergency care resources and capabilities and is now supporting initiatives aimed at enhancing emergency care for children. Funding for the program is provided by the federal Maternal and Child Health Bureau and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Illinois Department of Public Health 535 West Jefferson Street Springfield, Illinois 62761 Phone 217-782-4977 Fax 217-782-3987 TTY 800-547-0466 Questions or Comments