Avon VFW Post 3272 Announces Essay Contest Winners

From Avon VFW Post 3272: At a ceremony recently, the Gildo T. Consolini VFW Post 3272 of Avon announced the top winners in the Post’s 2016-2017 Patriot’s Pen essay contest. Patriot’s Pen is a nationwide youth-essay writing competition that gives students in grades 6, 7 and 8 the opportunity to write essays expressing their views on democracy. Nationally, more than 120,000 students participate in the contest. This year’s theme was "The America I Believe In." Contestants write a 300-400 word essay based on an annual patriotic theme which is first judged by their sponsoring VFW Post. Post winners move on to the District level and those winners to a statewide competition during the fall of the academic year.

This year’s top Avon Post essay winner is Michalina G. Centofanti, 7th grade, Avon Middle School.

All three were presented certificates at a ceremony on April 26 in Avon, CT at the Post’s monthly dinner meeting. “The Patriot’s Pen competition was enacted in 1995 by the VFW as a way to encourage young minds to examine America’s history, along with their own experiences in modern American society while improving their writing skills,” stated Roy Walton, Avon VFW Post’s Patriot Pen Chairman.

The National Association of Secondary School Principals has placed this program on its National Advisory List of Contests and Activities for 2016-2017. A copy of the entry form and rules can be found here.

Photo courtesy of Deb Key Imagery: Commander Jim Hutton of the Gildo T. Consolini Post 3272, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Avon, CT presents awards to the winners of the Avon VFW Post 3272 Patriot's Pen and Voice of Democracy contests at a recent Post event in Avon. From left to right are: Michalina Centofani, 7th grade, Avon Middle School; Rachael Weakley of Canton, senior at The Master's School in West Simsbury; Julia Rosow, Junior at Avon High School; Samantha Moran, Junior at Avon High School; and Olivia Jackson, Senior at Avon High School.