Once again this year, Southwick VFW Post 872 is sponsoring several contests for students, teachers, and first responders. The Patriots Pen Essay Contest is for students in grades 6-8 and provides for students in these grades to compete for $54,500 in cash prizes. The Voice of Democracy Contest is for students in grades 9-12 where they compete for $154,000 in scholarships and incentives with the top scholarship awarded at the national level being $30,000.

The Citizenship Education Teacher Award is for teachers in all grades nominated by their peers, which recognizes their contributions as educators who instill a sense of patriotism, duty, and service. Winners selected at the national level are awarded cash prizes for themselves and for their school, along with recognition at the VFW National Convention.

The VFW Scout of the Year Award is a scholarship competition for those Boy or Girl Scouts ages 15-18 who have attained the rank of Eagle Scout, Gold Award, or Sea Scout Quartermaster, are enrolled in High School and are active within their troop. First Place at the national level awards is a $5,000 scholarship, second place $3,000, and third place $1,000.

The VFW Public Servant Award is for members of the community’s Police, Fire, Medical Reserve Corps, and EMT Departments that provides for honor and recognition of each winner at the VFW State Convention.

Deadlines for entry for Patriots Pen, Voice of Democracy, and the Citizen Education Teacher Award are October 31; Scout of the Year Award is March 1, 2019; Public Servant Award is January 1, 2019. For more information on how to enter, please contact Troy Henke at [email protected].