Murphy announces 2017 Earth Day poster contest

ALBANY, NY – Earth Day is all about celebrating and taking pride in this planet we call home. It is an annual event created to celebrate the planet’s environment and raise public awareness about pollution. Earth Day was first celebrated on April 22, 1970, and is now observed in more than 193 countries throughout the world. Each year more than 20 million Americans participate by helping to improve the air we breathe and the water we drink.

To celebrate and honor Earth Day this year, Senator Terrence Murphy and the New York State Senate is sponsoring his annual poster contest for children in grades K-6. The theme of our Earth Day celebration is “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.”

“This contest is a great way to engage students and to compel them to use their creativity while increasing their awareness of Earth Day and their environment,” Senator Murphy said. “It’s a fun, ‘hands-on’ way for students to learn. We had a great response to this contest last year and I’m looking forward to seeing the wonderful artwork created by students in the 40th Senate District.”

To enter, students are encouraged to be creative and design a poster that not only fits their style, but also conveys a real commitment to making our planet a better place. The winning posters will be displayed on Senator Murphy’s website, and the participants will receive a certificate acknowledging their participation.

Schools wishing to participate in this year’s event must submit their entries by March 24, 2017, via Senator Murphy’s website: www.nysenate.gov/senators/terrence-murphy. For any questions concerning the contest, please call Senator Murphy’s District Office at 914-962-2624.

Senator Murphy has made improving New York’s environment one of his cornerstone initiatives since arriving to Albany. Last year he not only approved a record amount of funding for the Environmental Protection Fund but secured a $500,000 line item in the budget for the remediation of an environmentally sensitive meadow at Croton Point Park. In addition, Senator Murphy has had more than a dozen lakes, rivers and streams in the Hudson Valley added to New York’s inland waterway list and led the effort to test drinking water in New York’s schools. His most recent focus has been leading the charge to keep the United States Coast Guard from approving barge anchorages along the Hudson River.