BALTIMORE — Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE) announced that it has been recognized with the Gold Quill Award in Safety Communication by the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) for its efforts to educate children on the importance of electric safety. In 2012, BGE launched its BGE Wires Down Video Challenge, where elementary schools across the central Maryland service area were challenged to create their own renditions of BGE’s original “Wires Down” electric safety commercial for a chance to win up to $10,000 to fund school enrichment projects. The IABC Gold Quill Awards were presented to companies around the globe for their innovative communications campaigns in a variety of categories.
As a result of the strong support of BGE’s first Wires Down Video Challenge, BGE has decided to make this an annual contest, launching each fall. The 2013 BGE Wires Down Challenge launches September 9, 2013.
“We are proud to be recognized by the IABC as an industry leader for our commitment to safety by creating a comprehensive and creative campaign to promote electric safety to school-aged children,” said Calvin G. Butler, Jr., senior vice president of regulatory and external affairs. “We applaud the efforts of the students and teachers of the 29 schools across central Maryland that participated in the 2012 challenge and truly made the Wires Down Video Challenge a success. We were impressed by their commitment to educating their fellow students, friends and families about the importance of electric safety and their enthusiasm in their projects. These video submissions help to educate customers about the dangers associated with downed power lines, especially children who may be unaware of the safety hazards. As BGE gets ready to launch the 2013 BGE Wires Down Video Challenge in September, we are excited to see the ingenuity and creativity of our students in this next challenge year.”
Originally produced in 2000, BGE’s Emmy award-winning “Wires Down” electric safety commercial with its “do not, do not, do not touch” refrain helps to raise awareness of electricity hazards, especially among young children. The Wires Down Video Challenge was created to provide educators with a fun and creative way to teach students not only about electric safety, but to also share that information with their families and friends, while promoting teamwork and school spirit at the same time. Schools had the opportunity to win up to $10,000 in funding for school enrichment projects. The videos were posted on the contest website, bgevideochallenge.com and more than 65,000 online votes were cast to determine the schools moving to the final round of voting. Of those schools that advanced, a panel of judges selected the eight winning schools. To view the top winning video, please visit bgevideochallenge.com.
BGE awarded funding for enrichment projects to eight elementary schools in its central Maryland service area for their creative submissions in the 2012 BGE Wires Down Video Challenge. The eight winning schools and their videos were selected from a field of 29 participating elementary schools and a total of 30 videos.
BGE has a long-standing commitment to both public safety and supporting educational initiatives in the communities in which it serves. The Wires Down Video Contest strongly ties supporting the students and families the company serves by providing funding toward education enrichment projects, but it also reinforces the importance of electric safety to our schools, our customers and their families.
For more information on wires down and electric safety, visit bge.com.