Pasadena ISD Students Win RESPECT Contest Sponsored by Houston Law Firm

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Apr 23, 2015, 02:38 ET

HOUSTON, April 23, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Four students from Pasadena Independent School District's Dr. Dixie Melillo Middle School have been recognized for their winning entries in the RESPECT contest sponsored by local trial lawyers Kurt Arnold and Jason Itkin of Arnold & Itkin LLP.

The contest asked 5^th grade students to define what "Respect" means to them and explain why it is important. The students were also asked to include a picture that illustrated their idea.

The awards were presented at the Harris County Civil Courthouse on April 23 by Judge Kyle Carter of the 125^th District Court. Each student received a $100 cash prize, with a donation made to the charity of the student's choice.

The winning students and their selected charities are:

1^st place
Lexi Martinez – Scholarship America Dream Award ($1,000 charitable donation)

2^nd place
Alexis Henriquez – El Cordero De Dios Templo Cristiano ($500)

3^rd place (tie)
Kaylee Goodrum – St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital ($350)
Natalie Lopez – Pleasant Hills Children's Home ($350)

In addition to the charitable donations, Arnold & Itkin made a matching donation totaling $2,200 to Melillo Middle School to help fund the school's Outdoor Learning Center.

Representatives from Melillo Middle School, El Cordero De Dios Templo Christiano, St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital and Pleasant Hills Children's Home attended the ceremony to accept the donations on their organization's behalf.

"The RESPECT contest was born out of the desire to have students thinking about the importance of showing one another respect at an early age," said Mr. Itkin. "We hope that this contest can help cut down on bullying, increase civility, and generally remind people of all ages that it is important to treat each other well."

Arnold & Itkin LLP was founded in 2004 and has been recognized as one of the top personal injury law firms in the country. The firm is committed to working with local organizations to improve the Houston community.

To learn more about Arnold & Itkin LLP, visit the firm's website at www.arnolditkin.com or follow the firm on Facebook at www.facebook.com/arnolditkin.

For more information on Arnold & Itkin and the RESPECT competition, please contact Matt Resell at 713-225-3825 or [email protected].

SOURCE Arnold & Itkin LLP