Kids get vocal about Earth Day

For 30 young singers in Mahoning County, the 40th anniversary of Earth Day was something to sing about.

Youth from schools in Mahoning County took to the stage for a Green Idol singing contest April 17. The event was sponsored by the Green Team, Southern Park Mall and Farmers National Bank.

Students were required to sing a song they created, or a song by someone else to help spread the message of the importance of taking care of the Earth.

The students in grades first through eight performed 18 different earth-friendly songs.

Mariah Cashbaugh, a third-grader at Hilltop Elementary School in Canfield, took first place in the grades one through four category with her own creation, “Going Green.”

Emma Worsencroft, Lindsey Billet and Jenna Vivo, fourth-graders at West Boulevard School in Boardman, took first place in the fan favorite category for that age group, singing “We Can Change the World.”

In the older group (grades five through eight), Kristen Wolf, an eighth-grader at Boardman’s Glenwood Middle School, earned top honors with her rendition of “Colors of the Wind” from the movie “Pocahontas.”

Alex Marasovich and Emily Burrows, sixth-graders at Canfield Village Middle School, were the fan favorites in the older division, singing “Evacuate the Dance Floor.”

Farmers National Bank donated savings bonds to each of the winning acts. Other prizes were donated by Chick-fil-A, Buttermaid Bakery, Jillians, Auntie Anne’s Pretzels, Camelot Lanes and Outdoor Recreational Equipment.