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March 28, 2007

Henry Haupt

Secretary Of State Jesse White Honors
Organ & Tissue Donor Poster Contest Winners

SPRINGFIELD – Secretary of State Jesse White honored four Illinois students who were the winners of the 16th Annual Organ and Tissue Donor Poster Contest at a ceremony in his Statehouse office today.

The overall winner was Carlos Varela, a junior at Curie High School in Chicago. Carlos received a $100 gift certificate to Barnes and Noble and a certificate of excellence and personalized Illinois Blue Book from Secretary White for designing the best poster in the state. In addition, copies of his poster will be displayed throughout the state.

"I want to congratulate Carlos for designing this year's top poster," White said. "His poster will be used to help promote organ and tissue donation as we proudly display copies of it in Secretary of State Drivers' Service facilities, hospitals and other locations throughout Illinois."

The students who won the other age categories each received a $50 gift certificate from Barnes and Noble and were awarded a certificate of excellence and a personalized Illinois Blue Book from Secretary White. Winners were selected from four age groups: grades K-2, grades 3-5, grades 6-8, and grades 9-12. The four winning poster designs were chosen from hundreds of entries sent in by students throughout Illinois. The poster contest is sponsored by the Secretary of State, Donate Life Illinois, Gift of Hope Organ and Tissue Donor Network, Mid-America Transplant Services, Heartland Lions Eye Bank, Illinois Eye-Bank and MTF Tissue Services.

"I would like to congratulate each of our winners as well as all the students who designed posters," said White. "These students displayed their artistic talents while also helping raise awareness for a life-saving program."

Winners of each age category for this year's organ and tissue donor poster contest are:

Kindergarten – 2nd Grade Winner
Joey Staley - 1st Grade
School: Pleasant Valley Elementary, Peoria

3rd – 5th Grade Winner Grade
Elizabeth Rosene - 3rd Grade
Maternity Blessed Virgin Mary School, Bourbonnais

6th – 8th Grade Winner Grade
Laith Khalifeh - 7th Grade
Hannah G. Solomon Elementary, Chicago

9th – 12th Grade Winner (Grand Prize Winner)
Carlos Varela -11th Grade
Curie High School, Chicago