Fox Chapel Area students submit 'cool' design for PennDOT's annual Paint the Plow Program

Nine Fox Chapel Area High School students participated in this year’s Paint the Plow Program for PennDOT.

Students from schools across the commonwealth were invited to design original artwork for a snowplow blade, which will be used on PennDOT’s trucks throughout the winter season as crews clear the roads.

The theme for 2024 is “Use Your Reason When It’s Freezin’.”

Junior Caroline Grimsley created Fox Chapel Area’s design. It features a car navigating an icy road, a trio of snowmen and a fox holding road signs.

The other students who worked on the project were juniors Ava deBruyn, Raina Guzman, Nora Kelley, Shayna McDermott, Mira Owens and Emilia Sutkowski and sophomores Emily Kiro and Lillian Salva.

The project was overseen by art teacher Joan Marangoni.

Motorists in the area should keep their eyes peeled for the design during wintry weather because two Fox Chapel Area graduates — Scott Lewis from the Class of 1992 and Steve Leas from the Class of 2001 — will be driving the PennDOT truck featuring the students’ handiwork. Their route covers Route 28 between the 31st Street Bridge and RIDC Park in O’Hara, and on all the ramps in between.

Another component of the program involves online voting to pick the “Fan Favorite” design. A “Judges’ Pick” also will be selected. The voting will take place in December, when photos of each snowplow blade submission will be posted to PennDOT’s website at penndot.pa.gov.

PennDOT started the Paint the Plow Program in 2015 as a way to cultivate awareness and promote winter driving safety on state roadways.