For Immediate Release
California Casualty
Mark Goldberg, 719.532.8436
mgoldberg@calcas.com

 
Impact Teen Drivers
Kelly Browning, Ph.D., 916.733.7432
kbrowning@impactteendrivers.org

 

 

 

San Mateo, CA, October 31, 2016 … Submitting innovative safe driving messages has paid off for students with the 2016 Fall Create Real Impact contest, presented by Impact Teen Drivers and California Casualty. After sorting through thousands of entries, awards totaling $13,000 were given for art, music, video and writing.

$1,500 Grand prizes winners are:

• Carley Calfee, Toano, VA, for the poster, "You Only Have One Life"
• Esteban Hiracheta, Corpus Christi, TX, for the song, "It's Not Worth It"
• Miles Kent-Pettit, Eugene, OR, for the video, "Gluv B4 U Go"
• Johnathan Joyce, Madison, MS, for the poem, "Just a Passenger"

Based on the number of entries, the winning schools are Cab Calloway School of the Arts in Wilmington, DE; Beavercreek High School in Beavercreek, OH; and Our Lady of Lourdes Academy in Miami, FL. Each of the schools received $1,500 prizes.

The 2016 fall winning entries can be viewed at www.createrealimpact.com.

Twice a year, students ages 14-22 are encouraged to submit essays or poems, artwork, videos, and music to address the critical teen distracted driving danger. Winners are determined by a panel of judges and by online voting for prizes ranging from $1,500 to $500. The contest encourages peer-to-peer messages and creative expression from students to help end the number one killer of young drivers.

"The Create Real Impact contest is a creative way to empower youth to develop life-saving messaging which is both relevant and effective at reaching peers in their social media comfort zone," said Kelly Browning, Ph.D., Executive Director, Impact Teen Drivers.

Impact Teen Drivers has reached more than two million teens since 2007 and the Create Real Impact contest began in 2009. California Casualty is a founding partner of the nonprofit and continues to provide support for the contest. California Casualty representatives will help present checks to the winning schools and awardees.

"The importance of this contest can't be overstated," said California Casualty CEO Beau Brown. "While insurance can replace a mangled vehicle, we can't replace a teenager's life. In a split second, everything for that family changes forever; it's a terrible tragedy that no one should endure."

The 2017 Spring Create Real Impact contest will take place March through April. Entries will be taken at www.createrealimpact.com.

Headquartered in San Mateo, California, with Service Centers in Arizona, Colorado and Kansas, California Casualty provides auto and home insurance to educators, firefighters, law enforcement and nurses across the country. Celebrating 100 years of service, California Casualty has been led by four generations of the Brown family. To learn more about California Casualty, or to request an auto insurance quote, please visit www.calcas.com or call 1.800.800.9410.