In honor of Grandparent’s Day, which occurs in September, Shell Point Retirement Community is officially extending this annual celebration into Grandparent’s Month by calling upon all creative children to create a poster to proudly depict the positive aspect of their relationship with their grandparents.

“Grandparents touch the lives of children in a special way, and the relationship between grandparents and their grandchildren is an important one,” said Lynn Schneider, assistant vice president of communications and marketing at Shell Point. “We hope this poster contest will provide a creative and fun way for children to express themselves and celebrate this unique relationship.”

Children from across the United States, and even the entire world, are invited to enter Shell Point’s Grandparents Poster Contest by creating a poster to illustrate one of the following three topics:

What makes my grandparents so special?

What do my grandparents mean to me?

What have I learned from my grandparents?

Entries will be judged in five different age categories: Ages 4 to 6, Ages 7 to 10, Ages 11 to 13, Ages 14 to 15, Ages 16 to 18. The rules for the contest are as follows:

(1) Posters may be submitted in any size up to 11×17

(2) Posters may be submitted on regular paper or poster board

(3) Artists can use the media of their choice, including but not limited to: pencil, crayon, magic marker, paint, collage, etc.

(4) Posters can be created by hand or by using a computer

(5) Only one poster may be submitted per child

(6) Each entry must include a recent photo of the child

(7) Each entry must include a completed Official Entry Form and Signed Photo Release stapled to the upper left corner to the poster

(8) The entry form and photo release must be signed by the child’s parent or guardian, if under 18

(9) Child’s photograph can be returned if a self-addressed, stamped envelope is included with entry.

The Official Entry Form and Photo Release can be located online at www.shellpoint.org. Simply click on the link for Grandparents Poster Contest and print the form. Each entry must arrive by no later than 4 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 18. Entries can be mailed, flat or folded, to the following address: Grandparents Poster Contest, Shell Point Welcome Center, 15101 Shell Point Blvd., Fort Myers, FL 33908. Posters may also be hand delivered to the same address, Monday through Friday, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. only.

Entries will be judged by Shell Point’s Intergenerational Committee, which is comprised of several residents and staff members of Shell Point for the purpose of encouraging positive interaction between people of all generations.

Winners will be announced on Friday, Sept. 25, and one winner will be selected from each age group. Each winner will be notified by mail, and will receive a $25 gift card to a bookstore in their area. Additionally, the winning entries in each category will be published in a future issue of the community’s monthly magazine, Shell Point Life.

To download a copy of the entry form, or for more information about the contest or Shell Point Retirement Community, visit www.shellpoint.org.