Community Leaders Select Winners of Rye YMCA Distracted Walking and Driving Poster Contest

For a brief moment, the Rye Y’s Denise Woodin hoped that judging for the organization’s annual Heads Up! poster contest would take place in person. But then Omicron swept in and the event was moved online for a second year. “Maybe next year,” she said optimistically.

Now in its 11^th year, the contest engages Rye High School students in creating posters that illustrate the dangers of distracted walking and driving and the importance of cycling safety.

Sixty-four students from Nichole Chiffriller’s three Digital Media classes participated. After all of the posters were completed, the students narrowed the field to 15 semi-finalists. The Rye Y then convened a panel of community leaders who selected the three winners. The judges were:

Brian Dempsey – Chair, City of Rye Traffic & Pedestrian Safety Committee
Michael Kopy – Commissioner of Public Safety, City of Rye
Adam Levi – Executive Director, The Rye Arts Center
Christian Miller – Rye City Planner
Sarah Prosser – Teen Librarian, Rye Free Reading Room
Suzanne Kelly Short – Principal, Rye High School

For the fourth consecutive year, the poster contest was sponsored by Joe Lamberti of Rye Brook Service Center.

The contest winners are:

First place: Riley Donahue
Second place: Elina Francis
Third place: Hannah Collins

More than an art project, Heads Up! also seeks to raise awareness. Chiffriller explained the process: “We began by watching the documentary From One Second to the Next, which chronicles the lives of four families impacted by distracted driving crashes. Next, students conducted independent research on the topic before developing a concept for their poster design.”

The 15 semi-finalist posters will be displayed at the Rye Free Reading Room starting in mid February. All of the posters are displayed in an online exhibit, which can be accessed by clicking here.