Washington State Department of Health celebrates winners of 2025 Northwest Radon Poster Contest

For immediate release: April 17, 2025 (25-054)

Contact: DOH Communications

OLYMPIA - The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) is proud to recognize the winners of the 2025 Northwest Radon Poster Contest. Open to youth ages 9 to 14, the contest encouraged students to use their creativity to raise awareness about the dangers of elevated indoor radon levels and promote the importance of testing for and mitigating radon gas in homes and buildings.

"We appreciate all the students who took the time to create and submit a poster this year," said Gary Garrety, Radon Program Director, DOH. "Their creativity and enthusiasm are helping to spread vital awareness about the dangers of radon. We're also thankful to the teachers, youth organizations, and families who encouraged and supported their involvement."

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is invisible, odorless, and tasteless. It forms from the breakdown of radium, a common element in rocks and soil. Radon can enter a building from the ground underneath it and concentrate to tens or even hundreds of times the level found in outdoor air. It is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers and contributes to approximately 20,000 deaths each year in the United States.

A panel of radon experts from across the Northwest judged the entries based on accuracy, originality, visual communication, and how easily the design could be reproduced. The first-place poster from Washington will go on to compete in the upcoming National Radon Poster Contest. View the winning posters here.

Washington state winners:

• 1st Place: Grayson Trego, age 10, Bainbridge Island
• 2nd Place: Clodagh Zibits, age 10, Bothell
• 3rd Place: Amaya Runkel, age 9, Spokane

Regional grand prize winners:

• 1st Place: Mary Haley, age 12, Boise, ID
• 2nd Place: Kian Miller, age 12, Lake Oswego, OR
• 3rd Place: Grayson Trego, age 10, Bainbridge Island, WA

The Northwest Radon Poster Contest is a collaborative effort supported by the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Nez Perce Tribe, Oregon Health Authority, Spokane Tribe of Indians, and DOH, in partnership with the Northwest Radon Coalition and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 10.

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