Rolling V Bus Corporation is pleased to announce the winners of the 2013-14 School Bus Safety Coloring Contest. The winners of each of these six school districts served by Rolling V all may have a chance to enter a national competition, sponsored by Seon, a national provider of school bus safety monitoring equipment.
This year’s first place winners are Jack Ryan, 8, of Ellenville Central School District, and Stephanie Santamaria, 7, of Fallsburg School District. Second and third place winners, respectively, are Meghan Stone-Wardynski, 9, and Havier Sumoza, 6, (Ellenville); Vivian Cabrera, 6, and Owen Almsted, 7, (Fallsburg).
“Every year, the children we serve put much effort into showing us their understanding of bus safety through art,” said Ken Engle, Head of Safety & Training at Rolling V. “It’s a great way for the children to let us know how important they view safety and that is a direct reflection of our efforts to make safety a number one priority at Rolling V.”
The winners were chosen by the Rolling V Safety Team, made up of Doug Deveau, Ken Engle, Nicole Dungey and Linda Kleingardner. The first prize winner will receive a Seon teddy bear, anti-bullying pin & medal, as well as a cash donation from Seon to their school to support anti-bullying efforts.
Rolling V hosts annual safety-themed contests in each school district they serve in Sullivan and Ulster counties. This year’s theme, “No Bullying On My Bus,” is part of Seon’s national anti-bullying campaign. The local campaign promoted situational awareness for the more than 7,500 school children Rolling V transports throughout the school year.
“Bullying can happen anywhere — in the classroom, on the playground, online, but it often starts on the ride to school,” says Terry Akiyama, President of Seon. “We believe that creating a safe and respectful environment on the school bus can go a long way in preventing bullying. We encourage everyone to participate in our campaign and support this worthy cause.”
Rolling V President Phil Vallone added, “We believe that promoting school bus safety to students at the earliest possible age creates a safe environment throughout their entire schooling experience. We would like to congratulate the district finalists, and thank all those who entered their beautiful artwork!”
Rolling V Bus Corporation is a proud member of the New York School Bus Contractors Association and the American School Bus Council. The company is family-owned and operated by the Vallone and DeSabato families. The Vallone family has been in the passenger transportation business for more than 50 years.
