CITY CELEBRATES
“WORLD NO TOBACCO DAY” WITH A SLAM
“Life is precious, “ wrote 11-year old Cassandra Menard, ”so
just let go the idea to smoke, because it stunts your growth.” Cassandra’s
performance at the World No Tobacco Day Poetry Slam was shown on the JumboTron
at McCoy Stadium in a recent pre-game ceremony. “It was fun to meet people from
different schools and to get out the message of the dangers of smoking and the
benefits of a smoke-free lifestyle,” she said.
The debut of her original poem marked the high point of the
World No Tobacco Day competition among fifth grade students in Pawtucket. The
City of Pawtucket Cancer Control Task Force sponsored the contest to encourage
youth to recognize the dangers of tobacco use and to share their message with
others.
More than 100 students from eleven public and parochial
elementary schools in the city took part in the competition. The winning
entrants from each school participated in a pre-game ceremony and then watched
the June 3 PawSox game from a field-level suite, courtesy of Bristol County
Savings Bank.
Mayor Donald R. Grebien presented the school winners with
citations from the City of Pawtucket and the top three received prizes donated
by community groups and businesses. Cassandra Menard of Nathanael Greene School
was awarded top honors and an iPad donated by Mansion Nursing Home. Second
place winner, Horizon Trainor of Henry J. Winters School, began her poem with
“Don’t be a fool to think smoking is cool.” She applauded family members who
had quit and reached out to those who still smoked. She received an iPod Touch
donated by Gerald and Renée Charbonneau of Pawtucket.
“I wish smoking was never invented,” stated DeJuan Hayes of
Francis J. Varieur School. DeJuan took third place and won a Birthday Party BBQ
from the PawSox. His poem advised, “The
use of tobacco should be erased. Without it the world would be a better place.”
DeJuan said it was a great experience and that their mentors helped them
overcome their nervousness.
Other school winners included: Donovan Xavier, Baldwin;
Gianna Ivy, Cunninham; Brooke Walther, Curvin-McCabe; Dylan Prew, Curtis;
William Restrepo, Fallon; Matthew Jones, Potter-Burns; Jane Morrissey, St.
Cecilia; and Kaitlyn DiPalma, Woodlawn Catholic Region School.
The Pawtucket Cancer Control Task Force recognizes the
generous support of the Pawtucket Red Sox, the assistance of the City of
Pawtucket Mayor’s Office and the Pawtucket Prevention Coalition as well as the
participation of mentors who helped students polish their poems and coached
them on performance. Mentors included local poets Thomas Barkman, Paris Fisher,
Maxine Wright and Jay Chatelle, who also produced the video of the winning
performance that was shown at the game.
