Get $100 from Middle School Essay Contest

Parents and middle-schoolers: How does $100 in free school supplies sound?

Colleagues of staff at the Walmart in Maplewood are hosting a Back-to-School Shopping Spree Contest, through which parents of sixth, seventh and eighth-grade students can win $100 for school supplies and clothes. One hundred students from the St. Louis region will be awarded the $100 allotments.

Here's how the contest works:

• Interested students should write a 100-word essay outlining how their school can make the environment better.
• The essays must be submitted on the contest website.
• The application deadline is Tuesday, July 26.
• Walmart will match every $100 award with a $100 donation to KidSmart, a nonprofit organization in Bridgeton that provides children in need with tools for learning.

A panel of judges, consisting of Walmart employees, will review the submissions received during the contest period and select winners based on the following judging criteria: creativity (40 percent); format (30 percent); and humor (30 percent).

Each winner must be present and participate in the shopping spree at 9 a.m on Friday, Aug. 5, at the Maplewood store, 1900 Maplewood Commons Dr. More details are available on the website or by phone at 314-621-5566.