Whiz Kid: Ben Tabor, Winner of the 2011 Rain Barrel Contest

Mackeben Elementary School student Ben Tabor is a winner of the 2011 Rain Barrel Contest sponsored by the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Because one of its students was a winner in the contest, Mackeben received a free rain barrel that was previously used to store liquid hand soap.

Elementary school districts across the state received, via email, a blank template of a rain barrel’s exterior for the students to decorate. Winning entries were chosen by IDOT based on which designs best promote water re-use. Creativity and artistic quality were considered. The winners were recognized in conjunction with Earth Day.

“We strongly commend the winners of the 2011 Rain Barrel Contest for their hard work, dedication and artistic ability to help preserve and sustain our environment at a local level,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Gary Hannig. “IDOT is proud to partner with the Illinois Department of Corrections on this award-winning contest and will continue to utilize creative and cost-effective green initiatives to positively impact the state.”

The contest idea earned IDOT a Green Government Award for 2010 from the Illinois Green Government Coordinating Council at the recent Annual Sustainable Symposium in Springfield. The award, based on demonstrating an exceptional commitment to improving the environmental quality of Illinois, was in the Water Quality & Conservation category.

Illinois Correctional Industries, a division of the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) donated the rain barrels at no cost to taxpayers, as part of the IDOC recycling program.

Click here to see the complete list of winners from the 2011 Rain Barrel Contest.