Press Releases
Montgomery County Keeping It Safe Coalition Announces Student Video Contest Winners
For Immediate Release: Tuesday, May 6, 2025
Students from Watkins Mill High School and Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School were the top winners in their respective categories in the 2024-25 Keeping it Safe Coalition (KIS) student video contest sponsored by Montgomery County Alcohol Beverage Services (ABS) and the Montgomery County Department of Police. The annual contest encourages teams from public and private schools to create 30-second public service announcements to educate young people about the risks of under-21 alcohol use.
The winning entries will receive cash prizes for their affiliated school. In this year’s contest, 59 videos were submitted from 31 schools.
Founded in 1992, the KIS coalition is an alliance of County departments, local organizations and concerned residents that work to deter underage alcohol access and use. The MCPD Traffic Division funded the student video contest.
“Alcohol is the most misused, and typically the first tried, drug by Americans under 21,” said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. “The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reports that 60% of adolescents admit to having at least one alcoholic drink by the time they turn 18. I value every student’s effort to reduce and prevent alcohol use among their peers. I recognize and admire their initiative to create, work together and submit an entry for the competition. This shows their dedication to their community.”
The Coalition announced the winners during the recent Public Safety Awards ceremony.
“We are happy to continue to work together with the Keeping it Safe Coalition,” said ABS director Kathie Durbin. “Raising awareness about the dangers and consequences of under-21 alcohol consumption among students is an important endeavor. These videos help young people learn how to fight peer pressure when it comes to alcohol consumption and ways to support friends who have an alcohol problem.”
The 2024-25 high school award winners:
- First Place – Watkins Mill High School student. $1,000 prize.
- Second Place – Amr Halabi, John Taylor, Gocke Onal and Noah Seifu—Walter Johnson High School. $500 prize.
- Third Place – Gideon Nohe, Santiago Londono and Shelby Will—Winston Churchill High School. $350 prize.
- Honorable Mention – George Stenko—Winston Churchill High School. $100 prize.
The 2024-25 middle school award winners:
- First Place – Yilin Ouyang—Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School. $500 prize.
- Second Place – Shady Grove Middle School. $300 prize.
- Third Place – Aryan Kabir and Yasin Shaaban—Shady Grove Middle School. $250 prize.
- Honorable Mention – Shady Grove Middle School. $100 prize.
For the fourth year in a row, Humanity TV, a member of KIS, sponsored the Most Popular video award for both high school and middle school participants. This award recognized the video with the most online views and “likes.” With 34 online likes, the student group from Shady Grove Middle School earned the top prize and will receive $150, payable directly to the students.
Through robust alcohol licensing, compliance and training programs, the ABS Division of Licensing, Regulation and Education (LRE) ensures the responsible sale and service of alcohol. LRE has been an active supporter of KIS for decades.
ABS is the alcohol wholesaler of beer, wine and spirits for Montgomery County and operates 27 retail stores throughout the County. In addition, ABS manages alcohol licensing, enforcement and education for more than 1,000 businesses. Generating more than $35 million in net income annually, its profits are used to pay down County debt, with a large portion deposited in the general fund to pay for resident services that otherwise would be funded by County tax dollars.
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Media Contact: Jocelyn Rawat, 202-604-7289
Categories: Alcoholic Beverage