Talent Reigns as 8 Students Win National Prizes in GEICO Safety Belt Poster and Video Contest

WASHINGTON--Eight students in the nation were selected as grand-prize winners in GEICO's 23^rd annual Safety Belt Poster and Video Contest:

“Every year the grand-prize winners continue to surprise me”

• Darwin Lau, Virginia, took top honors in the 6-8 age group for urging students to have a safe trip, lifesaver
• Amanda Cho, Virginia, won the 9-11 age group showing that she loves to use her safety belt with a colorful and bright design.
• Colleen Song, Virginia, led everyone in the age 12-15 age group. Her theme of a buckled earth and intergalactic highway was unique to other entries.
• Nahun Kim, Virginia, earned the national title for the second consecutive year, this time in the 16-18 age group. Her poster shows a colorful family buckled up and enjoying a safe ride.
• Michael Franck, Florida, won the computer-generated poster category. His seat belt angel with outstretched wings stood out with the most clear and focused message of safety.
• Jessie Havice, Jessica Geist and Tara Hoekman of Kansas are the first-place winners in the video portion of the contest. Their video shows how one small decision can have profound consequences.

"Every year the grand-prize winners continue to surprise me,�?? said Tony Nicely, GEICO chairman. It's encouraging to us to know that students continue to value the message of seat belt safety. If we can reach students at a young age, hopefully we'll be able to make a difference."

GEICO awards each national winner $650 and their schools receive $500 for art supplies and materials.

GEICO also provided another 75 students with cash prizes ranging from $150 to $50 for earning the top honors in their regional competitions. To see the complete list of winners, visit www.geicosafetycontest.com.

Serving as judges for this year's competition were Amy Schick of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Suzie Angulo from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and Chris Noel of Particle, a graphic design firm.

GEICO (Government Employees Insurance Company); as part of Berkshire Hathaway is the third-largest private passenger auto insurer in the United States*. GEICO provides auto insurance coverage for 9 million policyholders and insures more than 16 million vehicles.

*A.M. Best 2008 market share data