Student Group from Chatham Glenwood High School Wins Statewide Radon Video Contest

SPRINGFIELD – A group of teens at Glenwood High School in Chatham are helping spread the message about radon’s health hazards across Illinois through a 60-second YouTube video they produced and submitted to the “2011 Illinois High School Radon Video Contest.”  On Thursday, the students learned their video won the contest during a presentation ceremony at the school.

Representatives from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and the American Lung Association of Illinois (ALA-IL), the contest sponsors, presented a $2,000 prize to Glenwood High School and a $1,000 prize to the students who created the video.  The prize money was provided by the ALA-IL.

“We were really impressed with how many creative videos were submitted for the contest,” said IEMA Director Jon Monken.  “The winning videos will help us spread the message about radon’s health hazards.”

The winning video was selected from 10 finalist videos through on-line public voting.  The finalists were chosen from nearly 100 videos submitted for consideration.

A video produced by students at Normal Community High School took second place in the contest.  The school and the students creating the video will each receive a $500 prize.  Third place went to a video developed by students at O’Fallon Township High School.  The school and the students will each receive a $250 prize.

The three winning videos will be featured on the IEMA website at www.Radon.Illinois.gov and the ALA-IL website at http://www.healthhouse.org/radon/videocontest.cfm

Radon is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas that comes from the radioactive decay of naturally-occurring uranium in the soil.  It can enter homes and buildings through small cracks in the foundation, sump pumps or soil in crawlspaces.  The USEPA has determined that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer, behind smoking.  However, among non-smokers, radon is the leading cause of lung cancer.