Rachel Kuhnke of Southgate Elementary is this year’s winner of the Fourth Grade Junior Fire Poster Contest. She and the other winners were announced on Monday at McDonald’s on Oakland Avenue.

The contest, which is held every year during Fire Prevention Week, had 425 participants from Banfield, Neveln, Southgate, Sumner and Pacelli. Each participant had to submit a poster about fire safety, made from materials provided by the Austin Fire Department. The posters were then brought to the fire station and two winners from each school were picked by the firefighters. Winners received gifts and prizes.

Other winners from this year’s contest were Bridget Bastyr of Pacelli, Grayson Bickler of Pacelli, Elizabeth Clennon of Banfield, Maxx Joseph of Southgate, Leigha Kroneman of Neveln, and Felicia Thimmosch of Banfield. Two students from Sumner and another student from Neveln were also winners, but were unable to attend the announcement. The Fire Department did not release their names because their parents did not sign a release form.

Because she was the overall winner, Kuhnke’s poster will be submitted for the state contest. The submissions from Austin won third place last year and first place in 2015.

The contest was sponsored by the Austin Fire Department, McDonald’s, Walmart, Austin Fire and Safety, Austin Park and Recreation, Family Video, CineMagic 7, Echo Lanes, Perkins Restaurant and Bakery, Pizza Ranch, Arby’s, Culver’s, and Wendy’s.