Jordan Reinhart, a
fourth-grader at St. Anthony Elementary in New Ulm, is the
winner of the 2008 Minnesota Tar Wars Poster Contest. Her
poster, which states ‘Make Your Goal Smoke Free,’ shows a
soccer goalie guarding the net. Posters were judged on
artistry, creativity, originality and their ability to
communicate a clear POSITIVE message to remain tobacco-free.
Reinhart’s poster will now advance to the National Tar Wars
Poster Contest to be held this July in Washington, D.C.
The Tar Wars program is taught by family physicians, family
medicine residents, medical students and other health care
professional who join together to address the issue of
youth-targeted marketing and access to tobacco. These
volunteers go into classrooms across the state and share the
Tar Wars message. The program is filled with fun and
interactive lessons focusing on the long and short-term
effects of tobacco use, image-based effects of tobacco use and
reasons people use tobacco. Dr. Frani Knowles was the volunteer
presenter in Jordan's classroom.
For her efforts, Reinhart and one adult family member will be
awarded a trip to Washington, D.C., to participate in the
National Tar Wars Poster Contest. The prize is made possible
thanks to a generous donation from the United Hospital
Foundation.
The posters were judged by more than 350 family physicians
during the Minnesota Academy of Family Physician’s Spring
Refresher on April 17-18, 2008. Second place went to Megan
Riel from Scandia Elementary and third place went to Kate
Schaaf, also from Scandia Elementary.
Tar Wars was developed in 1988
by the Hall of Life at the Denver Museum of Natural History
and Doctors Ought to Care (DOC). It has been implemented in
50 states and is owned and operated by the American Academy of
Family Physicians. Tar Wars was introduced in Minnesota
during the 1996-97 school year. The program reaches close to
400,000 children nationally and internationally each year.
-30-
