Focus

Think back to when you were a child and how nothing could beat coloring with a brand-new box of Crayola^® crayons. This year, consider buying boxes for your favorite pint-sized relatives and encouraging them to enter NRCA's fourth annual Children's Art Contest, sponsored by A.C.T. Metal Deck Supply and the International Roofing Expo^® (IRE). The annual contest is part of National Roofing Week and promotes awareness of the importance of roofs to grade school-age children, showing them the value of NRCA roofing professionals in their communities.

The contest is open to children in grades 1-8 who are relatives of NRCA members and their employees. In preparation for a child's participation, NRCA encourages roofing professionals to talk to children about what roofing professionals do and why their jobs are important. This not only gives children ideas about what to draw, but it also educates them about the value of roofing professionals.

All entries will be posted on NRCA's website, and online voting will be open to the public. Winners will be chosen from the following age groups: Grades 1-2, Grades 3-5 and Grades 6-8.

The winner from each group will receive various prizes and have his or her artwork featured on all 2017 National Roofing Week material and additional promotional material to be displayed at industry events throughout the year, including the 2018 IRE and NRCA's 131st Annual Convention in New Orleans. In addition, the roofing industry relatives of the winners will receive two complimentary Super Passes to the 2018 IRE.

Entries must be received by April 14; contest rules and entry forms are available at www.nrca.net/Art-Contest. For more information, contact Charlotte Norgaard, NRCA's media relations manager, at (800) 323-9545, ext. 7548 or cnorgaard@nrca.net.

Ambika Puniani Bailey is editor of Professional Roofing and NRCA's vice president of communications and production.