Bridgestone Art Contest Receives Record Entries

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Using this yardstick, Bridgestone has no less than fifty five and a half million safety and environment related words on its hands: the company reports that at least 55,676 European primary school children participated in its “dreams at heArt” children’s drawing contest during 2009, more than 35 per cent more than last year. Children from twenty-five countries – including for the first time the Baltic States, Slovakia and Romania – sent in drawings of their thoughts and aspirations on the theme “Safe Travel in a Greener World”.

The three winners in each of the three age groups (up to seven years, eight to nine, and ten to eleven) have now been selected and will be receiving their prizes of Bridgestone bicycles, tennis sets and safety kits in time for the summer holidays. Most importantly, says Bridgestone, each child who took part will receive his or her own drawing printed on a T-shirt. Furthermore, each of the nine “winning schools” will receive a digital camera.

The aim of the “dreams at heArt” drawing contest is to encourage ‘citizens of the future’ to start thinking about road safety while they are young, and invites them to express their creativity in drawings or paintings. It is open to all primary school children in Europe up to the age of 11 years and features a different theme for each annual edition. The 2009 theme, “Safe Travel in a Greener World”, is closely linked to the two FIA Foundation global campaigns, Think Before You Drive and Make Cars Green, in which Bridgestone is the major partner.

“Bridgestone believes that it is important to start road safety and environmental education early in life,” said Des Collins, vice president, European Communications Office, Bridgestone Europe. “Judging by the enthusiasm of children and schools, the “dreams at heArt” programme is a positive step in the right direction.”

Amongst the contest’s judges are David Ward, director general of the FIA Foundation, Lowie Vermeersch, chief designer at Pininfarina and Dr. Anne Adriaens-Pannier of Belgium’s Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium. All drawings can be viewed as of June 18th by clicking on: www.dreamsatheart.com and then choosing “Art Gallery”.