McNeal Elementary student art is a drop in the bucket

Appropriately, it poured the morning Gilbert W. McNeal students got their prize for their state-winning water conservation posters. 

Manatee County Utilities staff delivered the school its grand prize — a decorated rain barrel —for having three students place in a statewide water conservation contest on Wednesday, May 4. 

McNeal students made posters depicting reasons to save water, and submitted them to Utilities staff. The county had nine schools and 63 students who entered the contest; from there, staff picked one poster to enter at the state level from each age group — Kindergarten and first grade; second and third grade, and fourth and fifth grade. The statewide competition was hosted by the American Water Works Association. 

“We all love the Earth and when we lose water, we lose part of the Earth,” said fifth-grader Mackenzie Walker said.