Emma Holm Schlemowitz now has the distinction of being grand prize winner of the 15th annual poster contest hosted by Chautauqua Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Council.

The Fredonia Central School senior was named winner of this year’s contest, which was hosted by CASAC in the James Prendergast Library’s Fireplace Room on Wednesday.

The yearly contest, which is aimed at raising youth awareness regarding the dangers of alcohol abuse, is open to all Chautauqua County students in grades three to 12. According to Billie Jean Hubert, CASAC interim executive director, the contest takes an outward approach toward steering younger community members in the direction of prevention; with the intention of reducing the number of individuals who become dependant on such substances later in life.

“For young students to start drinking alcohol in their teenage years, their brains aren’t fully developed yet,” Hubert said. “So it’s very important for them to understand that the longer they delay their first drink of alcohol, the better chance they have of developing a healthy future for themselves. And the CASAC poster contest brings awareness to this issue.”

This year’s contest, with the theme of “Prevention Works,” received 268 submissions – which were pared down to the top 12 in a round of preliminary judging by students of Jamestown Community College art professor Yu Kanazawa. The contest culminated in Wednesday’s event, where the posters of the 12 finalists underwent a final round of judging based on four criteria: impact of message, integration of theme, originality and design.

The finalists were grouped by grade into three categories of four. Category A consisted of grades three to five, category B consisted of grades six to eight, and category C consisted of grades nine to 12. Each category had a first-, second- and third-place award, and two honorable mention awards were also given.

In category A were: Raena Beckley, a fourth-grader at Dunkirk School No. 7, who received honorable mention; Taylor Markle, a Fletcher Elementary School fourth-grader, who received third place; Amerasia Miller, a Southwestern Central School fifth-grader, who earned second place; and Michael Butterfield, also a Southwestern Central School fifth-grader, who received first place.

In category B were: Whitney Hice, an eighth-grader at Dunkirk Middle School, who received honorable mention; Makayla Pasierb, a seventh-grader at Dunkirk Middle School, who received third place; Mika Walters, an eighth-grader at Southwestern Central School, who received second place; and Raylynn Digirolamo, also an eighth-grader at Southwestern Central School, who received first place.

In addition to Schlemowitz, category C included: Alyssa Caskey, a Cassadaga Valley Central School senior, who received third place; Chloe Reuther, a Cassadaga Valley Central School junior, who received second place; and Emma Meyers, a Southwestern Central School sophomore, who received first place.

Students who received honorable mentions received $15, third-place winners received $20, second-place winners received $25 and first-place winners received $50. Schlemowitz’s winning poster earned her $100, and will eventually be on display on several billboards throughout Chautauqua County.

All 12 posters will be on display throughout the month of May at either the Darwin R. Barker Library Association in Fredonia or the James Prendergast Library Association, depending on where the contestants who made them are living.

Judges for this year’s poster contest finalists were: Beth Oakes, executive director of YWCA Jamestown; Kirstie Surrena, human resource coordinator at Cummins’ Jamestown Engine Plant; Maggie Irwin, CASAC board member; and Mary Jane Walker of the Dunkirk Rotary Club.

The 2016 CASAC poster contest received support from the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation and Cummins’ Jamestown Engine Plant.

CASAC has two locations in Chautauqua County: 324 Central Ave. in Dunkirk, and 501 W. Third St. in Jamestown. For more information, visit casacweb.org or call 366-4623 or 664-3608, respectively.