AUSTIN - Jerry Patterson, Commissioner of the Texas General Land Office, is calling on Texas students to participate in the 10th annual Adopt-a-Beach "Treasures of the Texas Coast" Children's Art Contest.  The deadline to submit artwork is Friday, March 3, 2006. 

"Learning about the natural beauty of the Texas coast is essential if we want our children to respect it and protect it," Patterson said. "This contest is a simple way we can help teach little Texans across the state the value of our own Texas treasure." 

Created in 1996 to mark the 10th anniversary of the Adopt-A-Beach Program, the annual competition encourages Texas schoolchildren to learn more about the many splendors found along the Texas coast and express what they've learned in their art.   

Open to students in grades K-6 across Texas, the contest motivates thousands of young artists each year. The 2005 contest drew more than 6,300 entries. Artwork by fifth-grader Asa Aguilar, who attends East Point Elementary in El Paso, earned the grand prize in the General Land Office's Treasures of the Texas Coast 2005 Children's Art Contest. Asa's colorful, creative style was chosen over more than 6,300 other entries. The Adopt-a-Beach Program will celebrate 20 successful years of cleaning up Texas beaches in 2006. 

Any medium may be used, but artwork may not be computer-generated.  Three-dimensional art is ineligible.  Artwork should be based on the theme, "Treasures of the Texas Coast" and should show why the Texas coast is special to the student. Artwork also must incorporate the official Adopt-A-Beach slogan, "Trashing Texas Beaches Isn't Cool." 

Only one entry per student is allowed, and all entries must have a completed parental release form taped to the back.  Parental release forms may be printed from the GLO Web site located at www.texasadoptabeach.org. Each contest entry must be postmarked by Friday, March 3, 2006, and submitted on an 8 ½-inch by 11-inch sheet of white paper. 

Students are encouraged to color copy their artwork prior to sending it in as all artwork submitted becomes property of the Texas General Land Office and can not be returned. 

Two winners will be picked from each of the 24 regional councils of government in Texas.  From these 48 winners, one grand prize winner will get two round-trip, coach-class tickets from Continental Airlines to any Continental destination in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and South America. The grand prize winner's class will be treated to a party at one of three Schlitterbahn Waterparks in New Braunfels, South Padre Island or Galveston. 

All 48 of the regional winners will receive a ticket to the Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi, two all-day passes to Schlitterbahn, prizes from Keep Texas Beautiful, a certificate of recognition from Commissioner Patterson and a calendar featuring the winning artwork. 

The grand prize winner's teacher will also receive two round-trip, coach-class tickets courtesy of Continental Airlines.  

This year's contest sponsors are Continental Airlines, Schlitterbahn Waterparks, the Texas State Aquarium and Keep Texas Beautiful. 

For more information and contest guidelines on the Treasures of the Texas Coast 2006 Children's Art Contest, contact the General Land Office at 1-877-TXCOAST or visit our Web site at http://www.texasadoptabeach.org/.