Edisto kids win for tee designs

Edisto's kids recently kicked off the Great American Cleanup with young artists from both island schools receiving prizes in a contest to design the EdistoPride T-shirt that will be given to participants in this year's cleanup March 19.

Seven-year-old Jesse Haydel of Jane Edwards Community School won the contest and a $25 prize with his design. Riley Davis, a fourth-grader at Edisto Beach Elementary School, won the second prize of $15. The third-place winner was Melissa Whaley, a sixth-grader at Edisto Beach Elementary, and fourth place went to 6-year-old Christopher Garcia Venegas, a student at Jane Edwards, who earned $10 each.

There were 65 entries: 26 from Edisto Beach Elementary and 39 from Jane Edwards, and the names of all 65 children who entered the contest are on the back of the shirt, which features the winning design of a palm tree at sunrise. The front of the shirt carries Riley's design featuring a crab with the statement, 'Litter Makes Me Crabby.'

In addition to the 65 T-shirts for the art contestants, an anticipated 200 shirts will be given to Edisto Island volunteers participating in the Great American Cleanup. The money to produce the 2011 T-shirts came from a grant received by EdistoPride from the statewide Palmetto Pride, which with Keep America Beautiful Inc. sponsors the cleanup.

Edisto's cleaner-uppers will meet at 9 a.m. March 19 at the community center off S.C. Highway 174. Organizer Ida Tipton reminds volunteers that any cleanup or beautification effort should be reported to her at 869-4422 or by e-mail to edisto pride@AOL.com in order for EdistoPride to get credit for the group's or volunteer's efforts when applying for future grants.