PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) — Kids gathered at the Panama City Center For The Arts for the results of a special competition on Saturday morning.

“I’m really happy to be here and I see lots of my friends on this wall and proud for my school to be on the wall,” Fourth Grader Ruby Pate said.

For the last 30 years, fourth graders have participated in the Paul Brent’s 4th Grade Endangered Species Art Contest.

Around 1500 hundred students participate in the contest from Bay County elementary schools.

Teachers pick around 12 students from each school for the chance to win a certificate or money prizes.

Every year Panama City Artist Paul Brent chooses a different endangered species, this year was a Blue Heron.

“We try to mix it up ya know bird, reptiles, mammal, we have had insects, we had endangered butterflies, we’ve had whales, so you know we’ve hit the gamut of wildlife and animal life that are endangered in Florida,” Brent said.

The grand prize winner receives a print of the endangered animal created by Brent and a check for $150.

“The student that really puts all of those together the best, generally there are a few students that really stand out of all of the others, even though the class may be sort of uniform,” Brent said. “There’s usually one that sort of jumps out in the care and the quality and I really feel like some of the grand prize winners are competing in art at the high school level.”

This year that student was fourth-grader Dylan Cummings.

“I just like to draw, I didn’t really care about winning or losing I just like to do it,” Cummings said.

Tyndall Academy was the overall winning school and received a check for $150 to go towards art supplies.

The prize money is donated by the Panama City Alliance Club and the Panama City Women’s Club.

“It’s important to let people know that art can be a profession,” Brent said. “A lot of times it’s seen as ‘oh well you just go over and enjoy yourself messing around with art’ and no, art can be a valid profession for a talented person and a person that wants their own business too and you can make money at it.”

Brent said they give monetary awards to encourage students that they can pursue careers in art.