The Hollister Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Post 9242 invites students in sixth, seventh, and eighth, grades to participate in the 2017-2018 Nationwide Patriot’s Pen Essay Contest. The contest is open to all students in the county, regardless of whether they attend private school or home study. Youths will have the opportunity to write an essay that fits this year’s theme: “America’s Gift to My Generation.”
“The theme is selected by the National Commander of the VFW. Each year they have a new commander and each year one of his jobs is to pick a theme for the pen essay contest,” VFW Program Chair Bob Burnham told BenitoLink.
The essay, no more that 400 words but not less than 300, encourages students to express their personal views on the theme. Essays must either be typed or printed from a computer and in written in English.
The local winner of the contest will receive a $200 prize and will have their essay forwarded as an entry in the twelfth VFW District level competition. Students will have the opportunity to win additional prizes at district, state, and national levels. The national first-place winner will win $5,000 and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C.
“District 12 runs from King City to South San Francisco, it’s the largest VFW district in all of California. One winner is selected and they move on to Sacramento, where they enter at the state competition. Runner ups, second and third place winners, also get selected for monetary gift,” Burnham said.
The student entry deadline is October 31. Entries must be submitted to the Hollister VFW post. Applications for the contest can be picked up at the San Benito County of Education at 460 fifth street or online.