Jay VFW Post 3335 recently held a luncheon and recognized winners in the Patriot’s Pen essay contest. Pictured from left are VFW Post 9787 winner Wyatt Steward, Post 3335 and District 9 winner Gabriella Perry, Spruce Mountain Middle School teacher Denise Acritelli, Post 3335 third place winner Riley Wright and Post 3335 second place winner Summitt Woodcock. The four students are students at SMMS. Submitted photo

JAY — On Sunday, Jan. 29, the Jay Frank L. Mitchell VFW 3335 Post held a luncheon and recognition ceremony for winners of the Patriot’s Pen essay contest from Spruce Mountain Middle School and their families.

The annual Patriot’s Pen essay contest is open to all sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students.

First place went to Gabriella Perry, second place to Summitt Woodcock and third to Riley Wright. In addition, Wyatt Steward was selected by South Paris VFW Post 9787 as their winner.

“On a national basis, the VFW awards over $1.2 million in scholarships to over 70,000 students competing on a national basis,” Jim Manter, Post 3335 co-chairman of scholarships wrote in a Feb. 4 email to the Livermore Falls Advertiser.

The Jay post had 28 entrants. The winners received over $500 in awards in recognition of their patriotic writings.

District 9 winners in the VFW Patriot’s Pen essay contest were recognized Sunday, Jan. 29, at Post 3335 in Jay. Pictured from left are Post 3335 Commander Rick Merrill; Wyatt Steward, South Paris post 9787 winner; Gabriella Perry, 1st place winner Post 3335 and District 9 winner; Denise Acritelli, Spruce Mountain Middle School teacher and Patriot’s Pen booster; Rich Hatch, District 9 Commander; third place winner Post 3335 Riley Wright; District 9 Auxilliary President Crystal McKay; second place winner Post 3335 Summitt Woodcockand VFW 3335 Auxiliary scholarship co-chairman Kim Cote. Submitted photo

“This year our Post 1st place winner, Gabriella Perry was also selected as the VFW District 9 winner, and as a result, was invited to attend the VFW State Banquet held at the Augusta Civic Center, on Saturday, January 23, with her family,” Manter wrote.

In Augusta, she competed with winners from the 11 VFW Districts comprised of 41 VFW posts across the state of Maine. Winners of the VFW state award have the opportunity for an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C., to compete at the National level.

Post Commander Rick Merrill also presented a recognition award to Denise Acritelli, a Spruce Mountain Middle School teacher. As Merrill presented her with a bouquet of flowers, he stated, “We are so blessed as a community and a post to have a teacher with a passion to teach subjects that also includes patriotic topics. Through this opportunity for our students, we have been fortunate to have had literally hundreds of local students over the years expressing their patriotic thoughts. We appreciate and recognize Denise today for her efforts.”

Each year a different theme is offered for the students to express their views on. This year’s topic was “My Pledge to Veterans.” Winners are selected and judged on their knowledge of the theme, how they developed their theme using their own experiences, and the clarity of conveying ideas to others.

For further information on the Patriot Pen essay contest, and other patriotic scholarship opportunities, contact the Jay VFW post, or visit the VFW.ORG website.