Children in Grades 3-5 in Montana communities statewide can use their creativity to help spread important water safety messages and win prizes as part of PPL Montana’s fifth annual water safety poster contest.

Students can choose any outdoor water activity — swimming, fishing or boating — and create a poster that contains an important message about safety around Montana’s many lakes, rivers and streams. Some of the most scenic and popular waterways in the state surround the 11 hydroelectric facilities operated by PPL Montana.

“Our rivers and lakes are popular places for outdoor recreation, especially during the summer, and we want our children and families to be safe and enjoy the water recreation opportunities in our state,” said Lisa Perry, PPL Montana’s manager of Community Affairs.

“Educators can make a difference by using this hands-on learning opportunity to give their students information about water safety,” she said. “I’m continually impressed by the creativity displayed by students across the state, and the support of their teachers in helping them develop meaningful safety messages.”

The contest is open to elementary schools statewide. The deadline for contest entries is March 31. Tommy Trout, a dynamic cartoon character, is the contest’s safety mascot.

Information about entering the contest is being sent to elementary schools. It also can be found online.

In May, PPL employees will select nine winners — a grand-prize winner, a runner-up and an honorable mention — for each grade level. Grand-prize winners will receive shares of PPL Corporation stock valued at $100; runners-up will receive shares of PPL Corporation stock valued at $75; and honorable-mention winners will receive shares of PPL Corporation stock valued at $50.

PPL Montana will feature nine prize-winning posters and Tommy Trout on a special 2009 PPL Montana Water Safety Poster Calendar that will be sent to schools, community leaders and PPL facilities in Montana.

PPL Montana will also give $50 for instructional materials or supplies to each teacher of grand-prize winners.
 
PPL Montana provides safe, reliable energy from coal-fired power plants at Colstrip and Billings, as well as 11 hydroelectric plants along West Rosebud Creek and the Missouri, Madison, Clark Fork and Flathead rivers. It has a combined generating capacity of more than 1,200 megawatts and has offices in Billings, Butte and Helena. PPL Montana and its 500 employees are dedicated to Montana and its communities, supporting educational, environmental and economic development programs across the state. PPL EnergyPlus operates a trading floor in Butte that markets and sells power for PPL Montana in wholesale and retail energy markets throughout the western United States. PPL Montana and PPL EnergyPlus are subsidiaries of PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL).