OTEC’s Third-Annual Kids Electrical Safety Artwork Contest underway
By Shannon Weidemann (McKone) on Friday, February 5th, 2021 in Eastern/Southeast Oregon News More Top Stories
BAKER CITY – (Release by OTEC) The safety of our member-owners and employees is a primary value and of the utmost importance at Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative. In keeping in that spirit and the cooperative value of Concern for Community, OTEC is once again holding an artwork contest for local children to encourage them to be creative while learning about safety around electricity.
Now until Friday, April 16, children of OTEC members – Kindergarten to 8th grade – can take part in the 2021 Kids Electrical Safety Artwork Contest, with their parents or guardians’ permission.
This year, kids can download the coloring sheet on www.otec.coop or create their own poster with the theme: “How do you stay safe at home or farm around electricity?”
OTEC launched the contest in 2019 to increase awareness of safe electricity use and to encourage parents, guardians, and teachers to talk to children early and often of the dangers of electricity.
“Prevention and awareness are keys to being safe because they may mean the difference between life and death when it comes to electricity,” says Maaike Schotborgh, Safety and Loss Manager at OTEC. “Knowing how to be safe around power lines and learning how to use electricity safely at home and while you’re out and about are topics that never get stale.”
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, OTEC regularly held safety presentations at schools and community events across its service territory for children. The cooperative hopes to resume those once state mandates and guidelines are lifted. OTEC is now using other methods to educate children about safety, including launching a “Mini-Members” coloring page for kids that focuses on safety in every issue of Ruralite.
As for the artwork contest, last year, OTEC received more than 90 submissions from children across Baker, Grant, Harney, and Union Counties and the cooperative hopes the numbers grow this year.
“The more submissions we receive, the happier we are because that means there’s that many more kids who are thinking about the importance of electrical safety”, says Schotborgh. “We do this contest to provide a platform to open up a conversation about safety among families. We hope parents and guardians are helping do their part to teach as well, because knowing how to be safe around power lines and electricity is a subject that never goes away.”
For detailed information, specific rules, criteria, and prizes for the contest, please visit www.otec.coop/kids-electrical-safety-artwork-contest.
About the cooperative
Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative (OTEC) is a not-for-profit, member-owned electric cooperative that serves nearly 60,000 residents in four counties in Eastern Oregon. Headquartered in Baker City, OTEC has district offices in Burns, John Day and La Grande.
