Madison County Group Wins Keep It Real Award

Youth In Action’s ‘Chances Are’ Claims ‘People’s Choice’ Honor

Charlie Chaplin won an Oscar — in Lexington just weeks before the Academy Awards were handed out this year in Los Angeles.

Of course, this Charlie Chaplin is very much alive unlike the late silent screen star and Academy Award winner.

The Central Kentucky winner is a 17-year-old senior at Madison Central High and a member of Madison County’s Youth In Action, anti-underage drinking group.

Chaplin and the rest of the group won their Oscar at the seventh annual Keep It Real Video/Internet Contest awards ceremony, which featured an Academy Award theme.

Keep It Real is a community- wide effort to raise awareness of the dangers of underage drinking.

Winners across a variety of categories won a total of $2,900 in prize money at the ceremony at the Kentucky Theatre.

Multiple awards went to students from Elizabethtown, Henry Clay and Dunbar high schools and Lexington Day Treatment. (See complete list, this page.)

Youth In Action’s 30-second commercial, which promoted an anti-underage drinking theme, is called “Chances Are” and won the “People’s Choice” award.

“I screamed when we won,” said Jennifer Webb, the Youth In Action coordinator. “I was so excited for our members.

“They worked so hard, and I’m proud that they committed themselves to Youth In Action.

“It shows they are leaders at their schools. Winning this fuels the fire for future Youth In Action activities.”

Webb also received a special award from First Lady Jane Beshear for her dedication to Youth In Action.

The third time was the charm for Youth In Action — the past two years the group went home empty handed.

“At first, we thought we were going to sit in the theater for another losing night,” group member Candace Moberly said.

“We were shocked, surprised and very happy when we won.”

The group made the video in two hours with help from Kentucky State Trooper Jon Allen.

The award comes with a $300 cash prize, which will fund other Youth In Action projects.

The video has received ample air time on local school and government TV stations in Richmond.

The winning entry was submitted by team members (pictured above with Webb) Charlie Chaplin, Cassondra Chaplin, Chandler Payne, Paige Quintin, Brandie Preston, Tia Raucher and Adriannah Brooke Willis.

Besides making videos, the Youth In Action group helps to stop underage drinking in other ways, like Sticker Shock — where members place stickers on alcohol reminding shoppers that buying for kids under 21 is a crime.

“I’m involved because of how much of a problem it is,” Charlie Chaplin said. “There’s always alcohol at high school parties.”

The group focuses on ways to cut down on alcohol abuse.

“Alcoholism is preventable,” said Moberly, who attends Eastern Kentucky University.

“The longer you wait to have your first drink, the less likely you are to be an alcoholic.

“The risks with underage drinking are too great. So many things can go wrong, it’s just not worth it.”

2011 Keep It Real Video Contest Winners
Grand Prize Best Picture
Winner: “Masks”
Elizabethtown High School
Samantha Ball, Lance Hagan, Marianne Gallegos, Sean Nethery, Lauren House, Evan Pennington, Morgan Proctor, Ashely Thomas, Amanda Schexneider, Elizabeth Evans, Kassandra Sherman, Deanna Franz, Becca Attaway and Jenna Sallee

People’s Choice
Winner: “Chances Are”
Madison County Youth In Action
Brandie Preston, Charlie Chaplin, Cassondra Chaplin, Adriannah Brooke Willis, Paige Quintin, Tia Raucher and Chandler Payne
Honorable Mention: “Take Control: Don’t Drink Underage”
Barren County High School
Brandon Guess, Tiffany Harper, Cristen Page, Mynika Lynn and RaLeigh Wilson

Best Original Music
Winner: “Be Different”
Paul Laurence Dunbar High School
Zachary Cole Platt, Sam Jones, Eric Choi and David Agtarap

Best Direction
Winner: “What Would You Choose?”
Barren County High School
Cassidy McCoy, Evan Payne and Trista Russell

Best Script
Winner: “It’s Not Gonna”
Henry Clay High School
Keanu Jones
Honorable Mention: “One”
Paul Laurence Dunbar High School
Clay Winstead, Andrew Brown, Jacob Redenbaugh, Neil Sexton and Austin Vincent

Most Original
Winner: “Stethoscope”
Lexington Day Treatment
Louis Sanford and Wayne Hubbard
Honorable Mention: Cut It Out Elizabethtown High School
Madeline Sessoms and Elizabeth Evans

Best Art Direction
Winner: “Pulling My Life Away”
Elizabethtown High School
Marianne Gallegos, Ashley Thomas, Elizabeth Evans and Samantha Ball
Honorable Mention: “Spotlight”
Paul Laurence Dunbar High School
Maddie Hatcher, Maggie Rhodus, Morgan McEldowney, Spencer Fair, Maggie Shell and Erin Adkins

Best Audio
Winner: “Consider This”
Henry Clay High School
Dalton Wade, Josh Cain, Corbin York, Keanu Jones, Brandon Barnett and Dylan York
Honorable Mention: “It Affects Everything”
Elizabethtown High School
Elizabeth Evans and Ashley Thomas

Best Cinematography
Winner: “You Know Better”
Elizabethtown High School
Elizabeth Evans
Honorable Mention: “The

Haunting”
Elizabethtown High School
Lauren House

Best Depiction
of Message
Winner: “The Bucket List”
Paul Laurence Dunbar High School
Kelly Sanders, Mckayla Barry, Gabby Purdy and Morgan McEldowney
Honorable Mention: “Alcohol Can Only Let You Down”
Paul Laurence Dunbar High School
Ayana Wheeler, Paige Noe, Laurel Noe, Abby Kovacs and Kyndall Lanter

Best Graphic Design
Winner: “Risking It”
Elizabethtown High School
Markel Coleman
Honorable Mention: “We’re Over”
Lexington Day Treatment
Raquel Lopez and Bree Gibbins

Best Editing
Winner: “Which Would You Choose”
Elizabethtown High School
Quinton Blackburn and Evan Starks
Honorable Mention: “Remember It All”
Paul Laurence Dunbar High School
Sarah Widy, Zane Saghaian, Kalen Plummer and Chuck Bryan

Best Comedy
Winner: “Embarrassing Enough”
Henry Clay High School
Christopher Thompson, Daniel Kiesling, Matthew Powell and Hayes Gardner
Honorable Mention: “The Least Interesting Man in the World”
Paul Laurence Dunbar High School
Grant Williams, Spencer Fair, Kyle Monthie and Will Callebs.