The video that receives the most likes on YouTube as the overall top video, and videos that were selected as the best in specific categories, will be used on the County’s Twitter and Facebook pages. The producers of the video voted as the overall best will receive a $100 gift card. The top 16 videos that are candidates as the best overall video can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLr9PAHLE27GJs-ZJUe4fFWKWzJJY3rE16
To vote, simply click on the “Like” button on the YouTube video.
The videos support the County’s efforts to get all residents, especially those 12-and-over, to be vaccinated. More information about the overall vaccination effort is available at www.GoVAXMoCo.com.
Co-sponsored by the County’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and Montgomery County Public Schools, the Take Your Shot contest was designed to encourage young people to talk with their friends about the importance of getting COVID-19 vaccinations. With the rise in COVID-19 cases from the Delta variant, the PSAs will be useful as the County continues to push the importance of vaccination for everyone who is eligible.
The contest invited middle and high school students from public and private schools to produce videos that explored one of the following themes:
- Why should everyone get the COVID-19 vaccine?
- What makes you want to get vaccinated?
- When people, like us, get vaccinated, we can . . .
Allan Bernal Diaz and Christian Ramos Reyes, students from Eastern Middle School and Col. E. Brooke Lee Middle School respectively, took the top prize for a Spanish-language video and first place in the middle school division for their video “No Tengas Miedo—Vacunate!” Sophia Hall, a student at the Holton-Arms School in Bethesda, won first place in the high school category for the PSA “Lost.”
“I am extremely proud of all the students who submitted a video,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “As far as I am concerned, they are all winners. We launched the contest to get kids involved so that they are talking to each other. The contest supports our goal of vaccinating as many eligible young people as possible. As a former Montgomery County Public Schools teacher, I really believe that the work of these students will help us get more young people vaccinated.”
Other winners included students from the Communication Arts Program at Montgomery Blair High School and A.A. Mario Loiederman Middle School for the Creative and Performing Arts.
“This contest demonstrated the pent-up need for young people to express their feelings about the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Raymond Crowel, director of DHHS. “The pandemic has dominated their lives for the past year, and these videos show the joy and exuberance they feel now that they have the freedom that comes with vaccination.”
Winning videos in specific categories, their producers and the schools from which they are from are:
|
1st Prize HS $500 |
“Lost” |
Sophia Hall |
Holton-Arms |
|
2nd Prize HS $250 |
“Back to Life” |
Caleb Collins and Brian Siegel |
Richard Montgomery HS |
|
3rd Prize HS $150 |
“What Are the Side Effects?” |
Christian Testa, Ryan Whittaker,
and Alvin Lee |
Richard Montgomery HS |
|
1st Prize MS $500 |
“No Tengas Miedo - ¡Vacunate!” |
Allan Bernal Diaz and Christian
Ramos Reyes |
Eastern MS and Col. E. Brooke Lee
MS |
|
2nd Prize MS $250 |
“Don’t Throw Away Your Shot!” |
Valerie Merkowitz, Neha Narayan,
Pauline Mann, Lorrilee Soderstrum |
A. Mario Loiederman Middle School |
|
3rd Prize MS $150 |
“Let’s Get Back to Normal” |
Hannah Clarke |
Farquhar MS |
|
Best Spanish Language $100 |
“No Tengas Miedo - ¡Vacunate!” |
Allan Bernal Diaz and Christian
Ramos Reyes |
Eastern MS and Col. E. Brooke Lee
MS |
|
Best Animation $100 |
“Why YOU Should Get the COVID-19
Vaccine” |
Sophia Li |
Montgomery Blair HS |
|
Best Technical Execution $100 |
“Back to Normal” |
Hailie Clarke |
Northwood HS |
|
Funniest $100 |
“Don’t Trust Those Karens” |
Nathan Arega |
Roberto Clemente MS |