Effingham County second grade students gathered in the gymnasium of Ebenezer Middle School Thursday to put their knowledge on safety to the test at the 16th Annual Quick-Think-A-Thon.

The Quick-Think-A-Thon is a competition that puts student’s knowledge of safety procedures and rules to the test as they are given scenarios that could come up in their life that could be dangerous.

The students learn what to do by playing the QuickThink board game in class and practice the possible questions that could come up during the competition.

Part of the board game is the Foozer, which is a game piece that players collect as they travel through “Foozerville”.

The game was developed in cooperation with Prevent Child Abuse Georgia.

Each elementary school in Effingham County sends two representatives and two alternates to the competition to compete while their classmates cheer them on.

Competing this year were Trinity Berry and Sophia Dickson (Springfield), Leah Wolcott and Noah Knowlton (Blandford), Aiden Deskins and Danielle Snipes (Ebenezer), David Hamilton and Ian McMillan (Guyton), Isabella Moon and Saniya Davis (Marlow), Nakiya Childers and Rhianna Beltran (Rincon), Kaydence Bailey and Cora Varnadoe (Sand Hill) and Reese Davis and Angela Fortin (South Effingham).

This year, Yvette Carr served as the Foozer and WTOC Anchor/Reporter, Elizabeth Rawlins, served as the moderator.

Rawlins gave the students three scenarios and asked whether or not the Foozer would agree with their decision. Each student’s response was graded by a panel of judges and after the final student answered their three questions, the judges made their decision.

Winning the Quick-Think-A-Thon this year was Rhianna Beltran. Trinity Berry was the first runner-up, Angela Fortin was the second runner-up and David Hamilton was the third runner-up.

Beltran was awarded a new bicycle for finishing in first place.

The competition was put on by the Exchange Club of Effingham County and School Board Coordinator Dr. Sandra Nethels.