The Jay Veterans of Foreign Wars post recently announced winners of its annual Patriot Pen Essay Contest. From left are Post 3335 Cmdr. Rick Merrill; Wyatt Steward, South Paris Post 9787 winner; Gabriella Perry, first-place winner Post 3335 and District 9 winner; Denise Acritelli, Spruce Mountain teacher and Patriot’s Pen booster; Rich Hatch, District 9 commander; Ryley Wright, third-place winner, Post 3335; District 9 Auxiliary President Crystal McKay; Summit Woodcock, second-place winner, Post 3335; and VFW 3335 Auxiliary Scholarship co-chairman Kim Cote. Submitted photo

The Jay Frank L. Mitchell Veterans of Foreign Wars 3335 Post held a luncheon and recognition ceremony Jan. 29 for winners of its annual Patriot’s Pen Essay contest.

The event was held for Spruce Mountain school district students and their families. The contest is open to all students in sixth through eighth grades.

The first place award went to Gabriella Perry, second place to Summit Woodcock, and third to Ryley Wright. In addition, one of the Spruce Mountain students, Wyatt Steward, was selected as South Paris Post 9787’s winner.

According to a news release from to Jim Manter, post co-chairman of scholarships, “On a national basis, the VFW awards over $1.2 million in scholarships, to over 70,000 students competing on a national basis. Locally for our Jay post, we had 28 entrants. Our winners received over $500 in awards in recognition of their Patriotic writings.”

Manter said 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 Jan. 23.

In Augusta, Perry competed with the 11 VFW Districts that comprise of 41 VFW posts across Maine. Winners of the VFW state award can taje an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C., for the national awards level.

Post Cmdr. Rick Merrill presented a recognition award to Spruce Mountain teacher Denise Acritelli. “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,” he said. “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.”

Each year a different theme is offered, on which students express themselves. 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 on their own experiences, and the clarity of ideas in conveying to others.

For further information on the contest, and other Patriotic Scholarship opportunities, call the Jay VFW post at 897-5112 or visit vfw.org.

Attending the Patriot Pen Banquet at the Augusta Civic Center, from left, were VFW 3335 Scholarship Co-chairman Jim Manter, VFW 3335 Auxiliary Treasurer Pam Manter, VFW State Cmdr. Jennifer Lane, VFW 3335 Quartermaster Dave Lachapelle, District 9 and Post 3335 winner Gabriella Perry, VFW Auxiliary 3335 District Treasurer Linda Bracket, VFW 3335 Sr. Vice John Dube, VFW 3335 Auxiliary President Gail Kerns-Dube, VFW Auxiliary 3336 Sr. Vice Janice Sweeney, VFW Auxiliary 3335 co-scholarship chair Kim Cote, and Brenda Lachapelle. Submitted photo

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