Uniondale students win school funding in Multipure water contest

More than 600 Uniondale School District student submissions turned an environmental art-and-essay contest into thousands of dollars for local schools. The winning designs will appear in Multipure’s next Dewey the Clean Water Superhero comic, linking classroom creativity to water-safety education. Why it matters: - More than 600 student entries translated creative work into funding for Uniondale schools. - The contest connected water education with hands-on school support, giving students a role in a campaign about clean water. - The winning villain concepts will help shape the next Dewey comic book issue and Multipure’s outreach. What happened: - Multipure and h2ocleanse announced the winners of the Uniondale School District Student Art and Essay contest. - Students in grades K-5 were asked to design Dewey’s next comic book villain and write a 50-word explanation of why Dewey must defeat the character. - Multipure said it received more than 600 submissions from across the district. - Multipure officials and Dewey the Clean Water Superhero mascot presented prize checks to the top participating schools in June. The details: - Entries were judged on creativity, storytelling and how well students explained real-world water issues. - First place went to Inaaya H., a fourth grader at California Avenue School, for Brushly, a villain that makes water undrinkable by rinsing dirty paint brushes in the sink. Prize: $150. - Second place went to Ariella G., a third grader at California Avenue School, for Gourdy, a plant-like creature that grabs victims with its vines and detonates bombs in water. Prize: $100. - Third place went to Bryanna P., a fifth grader at Grand Avenue School, for Savanna the Sea Destroyer, who poisons bodies of water. Prize: $50. - California Avenue School won top-submitting classroom. Prize: $300 and a hydration party from Multipure featuring Dewey. - California Avenue School took first place among schools and won $1,700. - Grand Avenue School placed second and won $1,500. - Walnut Street School placed third and won $1,200. - The winning design will appear in Dewey’s next comic book adventure and be highlighted on Multipure’s social media platforms. - In the latest issue, “The Plastic Pretender,” a hero’s temporary plastic fixes break down and seep into the water supply, creating a villain named Microplastico. - Dewey’s adventures are available free online at More information . - Multipure is based in Las Vegas and has made the Dewey comic series part of its clean water education outreach. Between the lines: - The contest gave Multipure a way to turn environmental messaging into a local school fundraiser. - The format also pushed students to connect imagination with practical concerns about contamination and water safety. - Heather A. Kollar, managing partner at h2ocleanse, said the contest gave Uniondale schools a chance to raise vital funds and thanked principals, teachers and students for their participation. - Zachary Rice, president of Multipure, said the company is focused on inspiring the next generation to think about clean water and called this its second contest for local students. What’s next: - Multipure will feature the winning villain creation in the next Dewey issue. - The company will continue using the comic series to educate families about clean water and sustainability. - Readers can download free digital copies of all issues online at More information . - Multipure also directs readers to its main website and social media channels for product and company updates. The bottom line: - A student art contest became both a school-funding drive and a water-safety lesson, with the next Dewey comic set to carry the winning idea forward.