Call for Entries: Influenza Prevention Public Service Announcement Video Contest

MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, along with Kohl's Cares, today announced a call for entries for a flu prevention public service announcement (PSA) video contest. Students at all Minnesota middle and high schools are encouraged to enter for a chance to win a portion of $5,500 in prize money.

This is the fourth consecutive year of the statewide contest.

"Influenza is a very serious respiratory illness. With the influenza season we've had thus far, the messages of prevention are as important as ever," said Patsy Stinchfield, director of pediatric infectious disease at Children's of Minnesota. "We hope this contest helps to educate and inform young people about how to prevent influenza and that they'll share what they've learned with their friends and family."

Background
Since 2009, Kohl's Cares, a division of Kohl's Department Stores, has awarded a yearly grant to Children's of Minnesota to fund the Kohl's Cares and Children's Flu Prevention Project. The project offers flu vaccine clinics and educational assemblies at schools and Kohl's Department Stores around the Twin Cities to teach children, and their parents, about flu prevention.

The contest
Individual students or student groups are welcome to enter the contest and should work under the supervision of a staff member at their school. The videos will be judged by Children's staff and volunteers on the following criteria:

• Accuracy of flu prevention messages, which include:
  • Get vaccinated against the flu every year
  • Wash your hands
  • Cough and sneeze into your sleeve, not your hands
  • Stay home from work, school or childcare when sick
• The creativity with which students deliver flu prevention messages
• How appealing the video is to middle and high school students

New to the contest in 2013, Kohl's Cares and Children's will be giving the public a chance to help pick the contest winners. The top three videos chosen by Children's will pass through to a second round of voting, which will be hosted at childrensMN.org/flu. There, the general public will get a chance to vote for their favorite video and help pick the winner.

The first place student or student group will receive $3,000 for their school, second place will receive $1,500 and third place will receive $1,000.

Information about this contest has been mailed to all middle and high schools in Minnesota. For more details about the contest, including complete rules, how to participate and to view winning videos from previous years, please visit childrensMN.org/flu.

About influenza
Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is a virus that infects the respiratory tract. Symptoms of influenza can include fever, cough, sore throat, severe, sudden-onset of muscle aches, fatigue, congestion, a runny nose, and, in extreme cases, death. There are four basic steps that everyone should take to prevent the spread of influenza: wash your hands, cover your cough and sneeze, stay home when you are sick, and get vaccinated against influenza every year.

About Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota:
Serving as Minnesota's children's hospital since 1924, Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota is one of the largest pediatric health care organizations in the United States, with 347 staffed beds at its two hospitals in St. Paul and Minneapolis. An independent, not-for-profit health care system, Children's of Minnesota provides care through more than 12,000 inpatient visits and more than 200,000 emergency room and other outpatient clinic visits every year. Children's is the only Minnesota hospital system to provide comprehensive care exclusively to children. Please visit childrensMN.org.

SOURCE Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota