Photo by RANDY PARKS

 From left: Dalley Sykes, Hadley Gunderson, and Dylan White display their winning plaques.

Three fourth-graders from Slater Elementary School were recognized for their artistic talents in the Elks Eye Injury Protection Poster Contest.

Burns Elks Lodge hosted the local contest in February, and Dalley Sykes, age 10, placed first and won a $50 prize. Hadley Gunderson, age 9, took second and received $30, and Dylan White finished third and received $20.

The three artists then advanced to the district competition in Prineville. In an unprecedented finish, the Slater students again took the top three honors, albeit in a different order. At the district contest, White won top honors and received a $100 top prize. Gunderson placed second and received $75, and Sykes was third and received $50.

The three then advanced to the state competition, but were unable to place in the top three.

The Elks sponsor the contest as a reminder that eye injuries are a major cause of serious and permanent visual loss for children, and they can be prevented.

The Elks have provided Casey Eye Institute staff with thousands of dollars worth of the very best equipment and supplies for the management of eye injuries. Nevertheless, one out of every three hospitalized children end up with markedly impaired vision (20/200 or less) in the injured eye, and may children suffer the loss of the eye itself. The tragedy is that nearly all of these injuries could have been prevented.

It is the primary purpose of the Elks Eye Injury Poster Contest to prevent eye injuries by presenting injury-prevention facts directly to children, their families, and their teachers and by obtaining their help.

Who is most likely to receive a serious eye injury? It is a boy age 7 to 10, but one out of four eye injury patients is a girl. Eye injuries occur at all ages, beginning as soon as a child is old enough to walk and fall on sharp objects — or pick up a knife. Children living in the city are affected nearly as often as those living in rural and suburban districts. The peak of injuries occurs in late spring and early summer when outdoor activities increase. Another peak occurs at Christmas time when children receive air guns, bows and arrows, darts, and other unsafe toys.

During the contest, students are taught the dangers of eye injuries and that vision is priceless.