Winner of Catholic Charities/CYO Christmas Card Contest Presented with Prize … Winning Artwork by Emily Davis of Cornwall Will Be Used as 2018 Agency Christmas Card

GOSHEN, NY – The original artwork of Cornwall resident Emily Davis will be featured on Catholic Charities Community Services of Orange and Sullivan’s 2018 Christmas card. Emily, an 8^th-grade student at St. John Catholic School in Goshen, was the first-place winner of the inaugural Christmas card contest hosted by Catholic Charities of Orange and Sullivan and CYO Orange County.

CYO Coordinator, Adam Kless, and Fr. George Hafemann, St. John the Evangelist Church, parish priest, presented Emily with the first-prize at the school. “The Christmas card contest was a fun, new program for CYO Orange County,” said Kless. “It was a great way for youth to become involved and learn more about the opportunities available through CYO. We look forward to doing it again this year and creating Catholic Charities’ 2018 Christmas card from Emily’s original artwork,” Kless added.

More than 35 entries were submitted for the contest. The students of John S. Burke Catholic High School’s Fine Art Department served as the selection committee. Jacqueline Lafayette, an 8^th-grade student from St. Patrick’s Parish in Highland Mills, earned the second-place prize, and Maya Medina, a 5^th-grade student from St. John Catholic School, earned third prize. Gavin Catherwood, a 5^th-grade student from St. Patrick’s, received Honorable Mention. The contest was open to first- through eighth-grade students from any Orange County parish, Catholic elementary school, or CCD Program.

CYO Orange County will be participating in the annual New York Archdiocese-wide Art and Essay Contest this spring and invites local students to submit their creative works of art and writing. The Art and Essay Contest is open to students from any Catholic parish, elementary, high school, or CCD program. There will be six different judging divisions, and each will have a first-, second-, and third-place winner. For more information and contest guidelines, contact CYO coordinator Adam Kless at adamklessoccyo@gmail.com.

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Emily Davis, an 8^th-grade student at St. John Catholic School in Goshen, was the winner of CYO Orange County’s inaugural Christmas card art contest. She received her prize from Adam Kless (l), CYO Orange County Coordinator, and Fr. George Hafemann (r), St. John the Evangelist Church. Emily’s artwork will be featured on Catholic Charities 2018 Christmas card.