The Lloydminster Lions Club has officially chosen its local winners for the prestigious Lions International Peace Poster Contest, celebrating youth creativity and a shared vision of global harmony.
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For nearly four decades, the worldwide initiative has invited children ages 11 to 13 to visually express what peace means to them through art. This year’s theme, “Harmony in Humanity,” challenged young artists to imagine a world where people from all cultures and backgrounds live peacefully together by respecting differences and finding common ground.
Lloydminster Lions Club member Shelly Tatro emphasized the profound impact of the initiative during the local selection process.
“One of the things I was really focusing on is trying to make the Lions visible in our community, not just through our projects, but by getting into our community and showing people what the Lions are all about,” Tatro said.
“The peace poster contest gives students an opportunity to think about what harmony, kindness, understanding and peace mean to them, and then express those thoughts through their own creativity. We’re not simply asking young people to enter an art contest. We’re trying to give them a voice.”
Tatro also praised the collaborative effort behind the scenes, thanking club members for spearheading the local program, alongside the judges who dedicated their time to review the entries.
Highlighting the next stages of the competition, Lions Club member Zuhy Sayeed explained how the winning artwork travels far beyond the local community.
“They turn the winning posters into calendars, they frame the posters, and the process is, we will send Reese’s poster to our district club,” Sayeed noted, celebrating Bishop Lloyd Middle School’s winner.
“The district club will then choose from the various districts that send winning posters in. It will keep going up and end up at Lions Club International. So, this is a huge opportunity for so many students.”
The international grand prize winner will receive US$5,000 and a trip to a special award ceremony, but local organizers stress the true victory lies in encouraging the community’s youth to champion kindness, empathy and a peaceful future.
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