by justin strawser
SHAMOKIN - Earth Day: it's all about "keeping the world safe and no garbage."
At least, that's the answer Kaidin Parker, 4, of Shamokin, gave at the "What Earth Day Means to Me" coloring contest hosted by Weis Markets Sunday.
He is son of Alyssa Stertzman, a front end monitor at the Shamokin Store, 339 W. Walnut St.
His picture, which was created on recycled Weis bags, showed a house next to a lake on a bright, sunny day, and was one of 20 others submitted by children at the store.
"It's good for everybody," Ron Deritis, store manager, said. "Anything we can do to save the earth is a great thing. If they learn now, it will help them down the road."
The goal of the contest, held in the 159 stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, New Jersey and West Virgina, was to educate and create awareness about the natural environment in the communities that Weis serves and to encourage children to have a positive impact on the environment.
Children ages 3 to 11 came to the Shamokin store, their drawings ranging from rainbows and trees to flowers and birds. Even Garfield, the cartoon cat, made an appearance on the page, with one child drawing a speech bubble for him: "Earth is home to me."
The event took place between 12 noon and 3 p.m., and all participants were given crayons, snacks and drinks.
The three top winners of the contests were given $50 Weis gift cards, activity books and reusable Weis bags.
According to Earth Day Network, the first Earth Day was held April 22, 1970, and activated 20 million Americans from all walks of life to broaden, diversify and mobilize the environmental movement.
The Network reports that more than 1 billion people now participate in Earth Day activities each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world.