Kekaha School students win art contest

LIHUE — AlohaCare, dedicated to serving Hawaii families eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, recently announced the winners of its 15th annual Children’s Art Contest.

The two Kauai winners are both from Kekaha Elementary School and their teacher is Maxine Akita. In the kindergarten category, the first-place winner is Noah Kanahele, and in the fifth- and sixth-grade category, the third-place winner was Grace Purdy, a fifth-grader.

The art contest was open to elementary school students statewide in four grade categories: kindergarten, first- and second-grade, third- and fourth-grade, and fifth- and sixth-grade. The students submitted their art based on one of four health-related topics: Preventive health, mental health, nutrition or physical activities.

The annual contest attracts an average of 2,500 entries statewide. AlohaCare gives the first-, second- and third-place winners in each of the four grade categories $100, $75 and $50, respectively.

“The contest provides a way for our state’s budding artists to showcase their artistic talent, while also learning about health and wellness,” said Laura Esslinger, AlohaCare CEO. “They also have the opportunity at a young age to learn how they can create positive change in their own way.”

The drawings will be featured in AlohaCare’s 2018 calendar, which is scheduled to be produced in December.