Arkansans Urged to “Get Out the Vote” - March 25th, 2008
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (March 11, 2008) – Today, Dr. Carolyn Dresler of the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) announces a new “get out the vote” initiative that urges all Arkansans to rally around Stamp Out Smoking, the media and public relations campaign of the ADH Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program.
“For the first time since the inception of the contest, we are asking the public to participate in the selection of their favorite entry in the ‘The Big Pitch’ drama contest,” said Dresler. “It’s so easy, just go to the stampoutsmoking.com homepage and look for ‘The Big Pitch’.”
In “The Big Pitch” drama contest, students from across the state write and star in their own television spots about the dangers of secondhand smoke. Winners can receive up to $2,500 in store credit to purchase drama equipment for their schools, and their spots are considered for inclusion in the 2008-2009 SOS statewide media campaign. The SOS drama contest is celebrating its fifth year by adding a People’s Choice Award that allows Arkansans to get involved and get a sneak peek of potential SOS ads. Entries will be posted on stampoutsmoking.com and will be open to the public for voting from March 12 until 5 p.m. on April 3.
“Because of grassroots initiatives such as ‘The Big Pitch,’ smoking rates among Arkansas high school students have been steadily decreasing. These initiatives give students an opportunity to take ownership of the historically low numbers and be part of promoting tobacco-free lifestyles,” said Dresler.
Previous drama contest winners include Mountain View, North Little Rock and Fayetteville high schools. Last year’s entry from first-time participant Conway High School won first place. The students participated in the professional production and direction of the spot, which is currently airing statewide.
For more information about “The Big Pitch,” contact Luis Gonzalez at luis.gonzalez@cjrw.com or 501-975-8322, or visit stampoutsmoking.com to cast your vote.
