Creative Waster - 18th International Contest Featuring Toys Made from Reused
Materials

MONTREAL , Dec. 9 /CNW Telbec/ - CLUB 2/3, the youth division of Oxfam-Québec, presented awards today at a gala ceremony in the Biodôme of Montréal, marking the 18th annual International Contest Featuring Toys Made from Reused Materials and the opening of the "Creative Waste" exhibition featuring some 150 toys from 7 countries around the world.

Jean-Pierre Denis, the cofounder of CLUB 2/3 and the driving spirit behind the competition, explains it this way: "As Christmas approaches, as we are in the middle of the Copenhagen Summit, and over-consumption runs rampant, here we have hundreds of youngsters from all over the world who have made these wonderful little works out of rubbish, and who are showing us just how ingenious, resourceful and environmentally aware kids can be. This colorful exhibition shows visitors that we can give new life to all kinds of things we use on a daily basis. Participants are also realizing how important it is to consume responsibly and to do something concrete for our planet."

During the ceremony, kudos were handed out to the Canadian finalists and the international winners alike, praising them for their resourcefulness, their creativity and their teamwork. "Playing with the Future of our Planet !" - that was the theme of the contest, designed to raise awareness among youngsters from 6 to 19 years, here and abroad, about the need for people to pull together in the struggle for a sustainable environment.

By making toys out of trash, kids have a chance to think about the "six Rs": reduce consumption, reuse goods, recycle, reassess our value systems, restructure our economies, and redistribute the world's resources.

More than 150 toys from Benin , Burkina Faso , Canada , Paraguay , Peru , Nicaragua and Vietnam will be on display until March 7, 2010 . It's a colorful and fun event, and it's entirely free - a family outing not to be missed!

    
    Canadian finalists and international winners
    Winners this year come from the following schools:

    De la Baie-Saint-François (Valleyfield)
    De l'île d'Orléans (Saint-Laurent-de l'île d'Orléans)
    Dr-Alexis-Bouthillier (Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu)
    Du Phare (Saint-Michel de Bellechasse) F.A.C.E (Montréal)
    Pierre-de-Lestage (Berthierville)
    Saint-Barthélemy (Montréal)
    Saint-Fabien (Montréal)
    Ste-Thérèse Academy (Ste-Thérèse)
    Uauitshitun (Natashquan) And from Benin, Burkina Faso, Paraguay, Peru and
    Vietnam.
    

For further information: and interviews with the competition organizers or youngsters (photos of toys available on request): Justine Lesage, Communications Officer, Oxfam-Québec, [phone], ext. 237, Cell: [phone]