Giant-Landover Hosts Poison Prevention Contests for Kids

To mark National Poison Prevention Month in March, Giant Food LLC is hosting Poison Prevention Coloring and Poster Contests for students in kindergarten through sixth grade. Entrants’ creations will raise awareness of the dangers of poisonings, as well as preventive measures.

Kindergarteners and first graders can take part in a coloring contest by picking up an official coloring page and entry form at any local Giant pharmacy or downloading materials from www.giantfood.com. Students in second through sixth grades can design posters portraying one of the following themes: “Poisons: Simple Steps Save Lives” or “Children Act Fast, So Do Poisons.”

Two winners will be selected from submissions sent in by contestants in kindergarten and first grade, second and third grade, and fourth through sixth grade. Each winner’s school will get a $500 check, while the winning student will garner a congratulatory plaque.

All entries must be submitted to a Giant pharmacy by March 31. Winners will be informed on or about April 22. Entries may not include any trademark symbols, brand names or characters. One poster will be chosen from among the winning artwork and displayed at all Giant pharmacies.

According to the Poison Prevention Week Council, more than 2 million poisonings are reported each year across the United States, with more than 90 percent of those poisonings taking place in the home.

Landover, Md.-based Giant, a division of Ahold USA, operates 178 supermarkets in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia, and employs around 22,000 associates. Included within the chain's stores are 163 full-service pharmacies.