Contacts: Chris Franciskovich, Regional Communications Coordinator, Children’s Hospital of Illinois (309-671-4829)

Subject: Children’s Hospital of Illinois Announces 2nd Annual Statewide Be A Buckle Buddy! PSA contest for College and University Students

For Immediate Release:

(November 10, 2009) Children’s Hospital of Illinois in association with the Illinois Department of Transportation-Division of Traffic Safety (IDOT-DTS) is announcing the 2nd Annual Be a Buckle Buddy! PSA Contest for College and University Students. Individual student, or teams of up to four, will submit fully produced radio or television PSA’s to Children’s Hospital of Illinois by 4:30PM on Friday March 27th, 2009. PSA’s will be judges on script quality, cohesion with the Be A Buckle Buddy! message, Production Quality, and Talent Performance.

Radio and Television entries will compete for the same prizes. The Illinois Department of Transportation – Division of Traffic Safety has provided a single financial award of $1000 for first place, a single financial award of $500 for second place, and a single financial award of $250 for third place. In addition to the financial award, the winning PSA will be distributed to Illinois media outlets.

Students throughout the state of Illinois are able to go online to www.bucklebuddy.org and download the contest entry packet as well as program materials.

“Be A Buckle Buddy!” is a public service program featuring a statewide, toll-free, non-punitive hotline, 1-888-800-2642, and website, www.bucklebuddy.org, which any concerned individual in Illinois may use to anonymously report an unrestrained or improperly restrained child passenger in a motor vehicle..

(Editor’s Note: With questions and interview opportunities please call Chris Franciskovich at 309-671-4829, or 309-253-3085.)