Events and Activities : VFW Kicks-Off Annual Essay Competition

Commander Dale Henry of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. Smith-Geater Post 8884 and Auxiliary, announced the kick-off of the VFW's annual Patriot's Pen youth essay competition. Middle school students in grades 6-8 in this area have the opportunity to compete and win thousands of dollars in national awards.

The VFW enacted the Patriot's Pen competition in 1995 to encourage young minds to examine America's history, along with their own experiences in modern American society by composing a 300- to 400-word patriotic-themed essay. The theme for the 2021 competition is "How can I be a good American?"

Students begin by competing at the local Post level. Post winners advance to the District competition with District winners advancing to the state competition. State first-place winners compete for their share of thousands of dollars in awards, and the national first-place winner is awarded $5,000 and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C.

Each year, more than 125,000 students participate nationwide. The deadline for student entries is October 31, and interested students and teachers should contact their local VFW Post 8884 by emailing the Post at cdr.post8884@gmail.com for more information.

FOR DETAILS VISIT: https://www.vfw.org/PatriotsPen.

For more information or to arrange interviews, please contact: Dale Henry Commander, Post 8884 cdr.post8884@gmail.com

About the VFW: The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. is the nation's largest and oldest major war veterans organization. Founded in 1899, the congressionally-chartered VFW is comprised entirely of eligible veterans and military service members from the active, Guard and Reserve forces. With more than 1.6 million VFW and Auxiliary members located in 6,200 Posts worldwide, the nonprofit veterans service organization is proud to proclaim "NO ONE DOES MORE FOR VETERANS" than the VFW, which is dedicated to veterans' service, legislative advocacy, and military and community service programs. For more information or to join, visit our website at www.VFW.org.