Thanks to an outpouring of community support, Collinsville schools claimed top spots the the “Explore My Community” video contest sponsored by the Get To Know the Metro-East campaign.
Collinsville High School took the $5,000 first prize with 2,326 votes — three times as many votes as second place Parkside Primary School in Bethalto. Our own Collinsville Middle School earned third place and a $1,000 prize. Webster Elementary received $500 and an honorable mention.
Get to Know m.e., also known as Get to Know the Metro-East, is a regional image campaign launched to “help everyone in the Metro-East get to know their communities better, embracing the people who live and work here while enjoying the many attractions that we all share and enjoy. To support this campaign, various businesses teamed together to organize and fund a comprehensive, positive-image marketing campaign for the Metro-East and fund visible projects to help make our community even stronger.”
Get to Know m.e. invited all local schools to participate in the Metro-East “Explore My Community” video contest. According to the group’s website, “The video is a creative way for schools to show how much school spirit they have and why their community is the best.”
Last year’s video contest only awarded a prize for first place. Collinsville High School came in a close second, so CHS video production teacher Jeri Arnold said her students vowed to take the top spot in 2017.
The class produced a video showcasing Kahok pride by spelling out K-A-H-O-K-S and associating each letter with a positive aspect of their school community.
All three participating Unit 10 school called upon school district residents to vote to show community spirit and support for Collinsville schools. The Collinsville Chamber of Commerce and City of Collinsville used their social media to spread the word about the contest and solicit online votes.
The $5,000 prize was officially given to Collinsville High School during a winter sports pep rally. The St. Louis Cardinals’ Fredbird made a surprise visit to help present the ceremonial giant check.