11th Annual Project Sentry Logo Contest Winners

Contact Person: Lance Crick (864) 282-2100

Winning Students from Cordova, Conway, Orangeburg, and Summerville
Columbia, South Carolina ----- United States Attorney Bill Nettles announced the winners today of the United States Attorney=s Office 11th Annual Project Sentry Logo Contest.  Today, a representative from the United States Attorney=s Office surprised the division winners and overall winner with a visit to their respective schools.  U.S. Attorney Bill Nettles presented the award at Kingston Elementary School in Conway, S.C.  The winners are:

• Grade 1-2 winner: Wesley Hallman; Edisto Primary School, Cordova, S.C.
• Grade 3-5 winner: Kylie Johnson; Kingston Elementary School, Conway, S.C.
• Grade 6-8 winner: Vibriyogn Epuri; William J. Clark Middle School, Orangeburg, S.C.
• Grade 9-12 and OVERALL WINNER: Marcus Epps; Cane Bay High School, Summerville, S.C.

The winners were chosen from 210 entries from 29 schools across South Carolina.  Each division winner received a $50.00 award, with the overall winner receiving an additional $50.00 award.  Six other students from across the state also received Honorable Mention ribbons. 

The statewide contest gives South Carolina students an opportunity to tell the entire state how they prevent gun violence in their school.  The theme of the contest was APreventing Gun Violence in Your School.@ The contest was open to students in all South Carolina schools.

The winning entries were selected by AThe Insiders,@ a select group of students from the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice, who travel throughout the state, encouraging troubled children and promoting community awareness of the prevalence and consequences of juvenile crime.  The U.S. Attorney's Office coordinated with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers= Association Foundation (SCLEOA) to provide the cash awards to the winners.

Project Sentry, which is part of the district=s Project Safe Neighborhoods/Project CeaseFire program, is a vital step in strengthening our ability to prevent gun crimes among our young people and to ensure a safe learning atmosphere for our children.  For more information on the Project Sentry program and for pictures of past winning logos, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/sc/programs/logowinners.html.