As part of National Radon Action Month (January), the Kane County Healthy Places Coalition and Kane County Health Department are promoting two contests for school-aged children to raise awareness of the dangers of radon.

Students have the opportunity to develop their art, science, and communication skills while also serving their community, and winners of the contests could win a cash prize and see their projects used in statewide and national radon awareness campaigns.

Poster Contest: Sponsored by the American Lung Association, a poster contest for students 9 to 14 is open until March 1. First place winners of the Illinois state contest will be awarded $200 and be automatically entered in the national contest with the chance to win $1,000. More information regarding eligibility and artwork requirements, is available by visiting the Health Department’s website.

Video Contest: To increase radon awareness, the annual statewide radon video contest is being held. Illinois high school students and classes can create a 1-minute video Public Service Announcement or commercial that will increase public awareness of radon gas and encourage people to test their homes. The American Lung Association and Illinois Emergency Management Agency, in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5, is sponsoring a video contest for Illinois high school students. Top prize for the video is $1,000. Creativity and originality are high encouraged as long as the one-minute video promotes radon risk awareness and home testing. Videos are due March 4, 2015

Rules and guidelines are available on the Health Department’s website.

Last year, two Marmion students, Christian Surtz and Harrison Kearby, won third place in the statewide video contest for their video “In Your Own Home.”

The Kane County Healthy Places Coalition has created a speakers bureau to offer free radon presentations to the community.  CLICK HERE for our online Radon Presentation Request Form. Contact Terry Roman at 630-264-7653 or at RomanTerry@co.kane.il.us with questions. More information and resources about radon is available on the Health Department’s website.

Radon Facts

Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. It is a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas that occurs naturally from the breakdown of uranium. Rocks and soil can contain uranium. Radon gas can enter through cracks in homes/buildings/schools and expose people to the radiation. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) estimates that 21,000 yearly lung cancer U.S. deaths are associated with radon.

About the Healthy Places Coalition

The Kane County Healthy Places Coalition is a group of community residents and stakeholders interested in environmental health. You can participate in the next Kane County Healthy Places Coalition Meeting from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., Jan. 30, at the Kane County Government Center, Building A, Ground Floor Auditorium, 719 S. Batavia Av. Geneva.

SOURCE: Kane County Health Department