Some Oskaloosa and North Mahaska students were rewarded for their efforts to stay away from drugs and alcohol with savings bonds Friday.

The Mahaska County Sheriff’s Posse has teamed up with the Pella Rolscreen Foundation for an essay contest where the winners would receive savings bonds.

The essay contest is entitled: “Why It Is Important To Me To Say ‘No’ To Drugs And Alcohol,” Sheriff’s Posse member Tim Shannon said. Shannon created the essay contest and modeled it after one done by the Iowa State Reserve Law Officers Association.

The trend is that drug and alcohol use is starting at an earlier age, so it is important for kids to learn about the dangers, Shannon said.

The students write a one-page essay and the winners receive a savings bond provided by the Pella Rolscreen Foundation, Shannon said. The first-place winner receives a $500 savings bond; second place, $250; and third place, $150.

The bonds will mature when the students graduate and consider college, Shannon said.

This is the first year of the essay contest. “We’re looking at it to be an annual thing,” he said.

Shannon and Deputy Sheriff Richard Adams presented the prizes to students in Oskaloosa and North Mahaska.

In Oskaloosa, the first-place winner was Riley Berg, Kieran Williams won second place and Swathi Somisetty came in third.

The students said they plan to use the bonds to further their education or start a business.

Berg said she wants to be a teacher.

Somisetty said she wants to be a doctor.

Williams said he is going to start his own business.

“I’m going to start a mowing business when I get older,” he said.

The North Mahaska winners were: Beau Freeborn, who won first place, received the $500 savings bond. Memory Bunting won the second-place award of a $250 savings bond and Jon Collier received the third-place prize of a $150 bond.