December 9, 2009 > Hayward student wins top prize Hayward student wins top prize Submitted By Andrew Kong Knight Congratulations to Maria Rosales a student in Mr. Knight's "Greatest Art Class in the Universe" (GACU) at Hayward High School for winning the prestigious "Founder's Choice" award at the Fourth Annual Flowers Heritage Foundation, "Don't Turn Your Back on AIDS" Art Contest. Maria, a senior, received a check for $500 at an exhibition and reception at the Waterfront Hotel in Oakland on December 5th during World AIDS weekend. Maria's GACU class will receive matching funds. The event included a silent auction for the student artwork with proceeds going towards future HIV/AIDS awareness programs for youth and an awards ceremony during which the winners received prize money and earned matching funds for their school art departments. Judges for the event were Bay Area museum representatives and artists, including Barbara Henry, Chief Curator of Education, Oakland Museum; Stephanie Cannizzo, Curatorial Associate, Berkeley Art Museum; Ahmed Rahim, CEO & Co-Founder of Numi Tea; Sharaine Bell, artist; and Susan Walton, art teacher. Students from more than 15 Bay Area high schools participated in the Flowers Heritage Foundation's Fourth Annual "Don't Turn Your Back on AIDS" art competition to highlight the impact the disease continues to have on young people. The competition is part of an interactive program during which students learn important information regarding HIV/AIDS and are challenged to express their views of the disease through art. "Unfortunately, many young people do not know the basic facts about HIV risk and prevention," said Gregory Edwards, Ed.D., executive director of the Flowers Heritage Foundation. Last year, students from 15 local high schools submitted 150 works of art for the competition. The Flowers Heritage Foundation is a non-profit 501(c) (3) organization dedicated to identifying and addressing unmet needs in health care services and systems.