Teams from Dana Middle School in Point Loma and Julian Junior High School are winners of the county’s Parks Make Life Better video contest, organizers announced Friday.
The San Diego County Parks Society donated $1,000 cash prizes to each winning team. Half goes to the filmmakers and the rest to their classes for educational supplies or equipment.
The classes also won a free weekend of camping at any county park, which includes a park ranger leading guided activities.
The contest was for grades 5 through 8. County Parks and Recreation posted the qualifying videos on its Facebook page and those with the most ‘likes’ won the contest.
Fifth-grade students Breegan O’Hearn, Lauren Gomez and Sydney Costello of Dana Middle School won for “Fast Facts at the Park,” which had 409 YouTube videos by noon Monday. The girls have been friends since preschool and the trio chose to highlight Tijuana River Valley Regional Park because it was a new to them.
“Not only was it fun making the film, but the girls enjoyed studying the plants, wildlife, and occasionally yelling ‘cut’ at the end of a segment,” said Breegan’s mother, Meg Tyndall O’Hearn.
A team of seventh- and eighth-graders from Julian Junior High School took the prize for “Parks Make Bikes Better.” The students wanted to show how county parks are helping them foster their passion for mountain biking.
“This was a great way to encourage students to get outside, get active, and have a little fun, all while using their creativity to tell a story about why our county parks have made their lives better,” said Chairwoman Dianne Jacob.
Supervisor Ron Roberts said: “Residents overwhelmingly value parks and recreation. This video contest showed some fun ways to incorporate outdoor activity into a child’s daily lifestyle for better health and overall well-being.”
