Fifth-grader wins missing children’s poster contest

TOPEKA – A fifth grade student from Sunnyside Elementary School in Dodge City has been chosen as the Kansas winner of the 2021 Missing Children’s Poster Contest, Attorney General Derek Schmidt and KBI Director Kirk Thompson announced today.

Heidy Perez Veleta was announced today as the winner of the state contest during a presentation at Sunnyside Elementary. Perez Veleta’s poster was chosen among 96 entries to the contest.

The annual poster contest is held in recognition of National Missing Children’s Day celebrated annually on May 25. Students all across the state enter artwork representing the theme, “Bringing Our Missing Children Home.” The poster contest provides an opportunity for schools, law enforcement and child advocates to discuss the issue of missing and/or exploited children with youth, parents and guardians and to promote child safety. It also brings attention to the united goal of bringing missing children home safely.

Perez Veleta’s entry was submitted to the National Missing Children’s Poster Contest sponsored by the U.S. Department of Justice, and will represent the state of Kansas in the national competition.

The KBI also recently recognized the two runners-up in the statewide contest, Lillian Wiedwald from Whitson Elementary in Topeka and Yael Mizrahi from Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy in Overland Park.

A photo of the first-place student can be found at https://bit.ly/3ndUdXQ. Her winning artwork can be found at https://bit.ly/32HgGmF.

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