Latest News

BUFFALO, N.Y. – ProjecTruth of Catholic Charities honored 20 local middle and high school winners of its seventh annual Abstinence Until Marriage Creativity Contest: “Waiting is Easier because…” at an Awards Reception Friday afternoon in The Fairdale Banquet Center in Williamsville. The contest encourages students in seventh to 12th grades to creatively express their understanding of the benefits of remaining sexually abstinent until marriage and/or the consequences of high-risk behavior through art, essays, poems and/or music.

The winners are:

Representing nine schools and three counties, the honorees were joined at the reception by parents, family, teachers, school administrators, and the staff of ProjecTruth and Catholic Charities.

Judith Vogtli, PhD, program director for ProjecTruth, praised the youth for their work.

“Year after year, the talent and quality of expression of our Western New York students amaze me,” said Dr. Vogtli. “In addition, the students’ ability to understand and embrace the message of abstinence and other healthy behaviors is so gratifying. It is a privilege to recognize these students!”

“Again this year we have included the Director’s Choice award to showcase entries with exceptional insight and attention to detail,” she added.

A total of 518 entries were received.

Dennis Walczyk, chief executive officer of Catholic Charities, also welcomed the youth and congratulated the students.

“It’s terrific to so many talented and bright young people here, the creators of such engaging prose and art,” said Walczyk. “Each year, we look forward to recognizing our winners, as well as their teachers and parents for all of their efforts in inspiring the work they create.”

First and second prizes were awarded for each category in two divisions, seventh and eighth grades and ninth through 12th grades. Prizes for Director’s Choice awards were given to high school students in the essay and poster categories. First place winners in each grade category and entry format received a digital video camcorder, and second place and director’s choice winners received a digital MP4 audio player. First place poster contest winners also received a framed copy of their poster, and the winners’ posters, essays, poems and/or song lyrics have been reproduced for distribution to area schools and organizations and will be published on the ProjecTruth web site, www.projectruth.com.

Mt. St. Mary Academy in Kenmore, which submitted 141 entries, and Holy Angels Academy in Buffalo, with 106 entries, took the prizes for the schools with the greatest number of student entries, including a portable DVD player.

ProjecTruth has reached more than 70,000 teens in more than 120 schools and community sites across Western New York with its character-based abstinence-only until marriage approach to reducing the social, physical and emotional problems associated with sexual activity among adolescents. For more information, go to projectruth.com.

Catholic Charities is the most comprehensive human service provider serving all eight counties of Western New York, with 70 programs and 61 locations. Founded in 1923, Catholic Charities also provides, without regard to religious affiliation, comprehensive counseling services for children and families, anti-domestic violence programming and emergency services, among other social and mental health services.