The top 46 national winners all receive at least $500; the first-place award is currently $5,000, plus an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., for the winner and a parent or guardian. The topic for 2013-14 is What Patriotism Means To Me with a deadline of Friday Nov. 1, to VFW Post 7447.
Prizes are given out at post, district and state levels. First-place winner for Post 7447 was Mercedes Morgan Spray, a sixth-grade student at Sussex Academy. She was accompanied by her parents, grandmother, aunt and new 4-day-old baby brother.
Second-place winner was Hannah Wiswell, a sixth-grade student at Beacon Middle School, accompanied by her mother, Susan Wiswell. Third-place winner was Megha C. Patel, a seventh-grade student at Beacon Middle School, accompanied by her mother, Pratima Patel. Fourth-place winner, unable to attend, was Lucas R. Stuchlik, a sixth-grade student at St. Mary Magdalene School in Wilmington, with a family summer home in Rehoboth.
For entry forms for the 2013-14 contest, contact Barbara McGowan, 302-645-7689, or email barbaramcgowan1@verizon.net.
Shown are (l-r) VFW Post 7447
Ladies Auxiliary President Anna Smith, Post Commander Edward J. Tucker,
second-place Post 7447 Patriot's Pen winner Hannah M. Wiswell and her
mother, Susan Wiswell, at the awards program at Post 7447 on Feb. 16.
(Source: Submitted)
