Montgomery County ‘Keeping It Safe Coalition’ Announces Student Video Contest Winners

For Immediate Release: Monday, April 27, 2020

Montgomery County Alcohol Beverage Services (ABS) and the Montgomery County Department of Police today announced the high school and middle school winners of the 2019-20 “Keeping it Safe Coalition” student video contest. The annual contest encourages teams from Montgomery County 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 receive cash prizes for their affiliated school. In this year’s contest, 70 videos were submitted from 15 schools.

“I love this educational experience as it serves as authentic lifelong learning for students,” said Lisa Wroblewski, a teacher from Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School in Germantown.

The 2019-20 high school award winners:   

• First Place - Springbrook High School. Students Matthew Bauer, Matthew Chu, Richard Nyugen, Ethan Stratton and Jaime Valencia. School sponsor Ian Carpency. Will receive $1,000 prize.
• Second Place - Albert Einstein High School. Students Nicholas Benning and Vivian Monmaney. School sponsor Anthony Nappo. Will receive $500 prize.
• Third Place - Montgomery Blair High School. Students Olivia Henry, Molly Howard, Andrej Radoja and Raquel Sklar. School sponsor George Mayo. Will receive $250 prize.

The middle school award winners:   

• First Place - Eastern Middle School. Students Peter Vicente, Grace Young and Keuyrbel Zewedu. School sponsor Warren Scheib receive $500 prize.
• Second Place – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School. Students Mangor Bility, Jillian Dove, Samuel Hahm and Vivian Hoang. School sponsor Lisa Wroblewski. Will receive $250 prize.
• Third Place - Eastern Middle School. Students Elise Burroughs and Lola Dammann. School sponsor Warren Scheib. Will receive $100 prize.

The winning videos can be viewed from the ABS website.

“Preventing underage drinking is a priority for ABS,” said ABS Director Bob Dorfman. “This program impacts youth through positive messaging from peers.”

Founded in 1992, Keeping It Safe Coalition (KIS) is a coalition of County departments, local organizations and concerned residents that work to deter underage alcohol use and reduce access of alcohol to youth. The contest was funded by the Montgomery County Department of Police’s Traffic Division.

Through robust licensing, compliance and training programs, the Division of Licensing, Regulation and Education (LRE) within ABS ensures the responsible sale and service of alcohol. LRE has been an active member of KIS for decades.

ABS is the alcohol wholesaler of beer, wine and spirits for Montgomery County. ABS also operates 25 beer, wine and spirits stores and manages alcohol licensing, enforcement and education for more than 1,000 businesses. Generating more than $35 million in net income annually, ABS profits are used to pay down County debt with a large portion deposited in the County general fund to pay for resident services that would otherwise be funded by County tax dollars.

For information about ABS, visit the website and follow ABS on Facebook and Twitter.

# # #

Release ID: 20-220
Media Contact: Emily Detitta 240-372-2282