Local students win VFW contests

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On Jan. 8, VFW Post 9676 in Los Lunas presented certificates and prize checks to their 2024-25 Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen essay contest winners. Making the presentations were Post Commander Chet Pino, right, and Post Quartermaster Jack Lovatok, left, who are shown with this year’s winners, Patriot’s Pen second-place winner, Caileigh Hulskamp (second from left, of Bosque Farms Elementary, and daughter of Adam and Katie Hulskamp, of Rio Rancho; and Voice of Democracy first-place winner Samantha Cox, center, of Bosque Farms, a home-schooled student with Liberty University Online Academy, daughter of Phillip and Kelli Cox; and Patriot’s Pen first-place winner Cassi Cox, second from right, of Bosque Farms, a home-schooled student, who is also the daughter of Phillip and Kelli Cox.

The VFW Post 9676 in Los Lunas held an awards ceremony on Jan. 8, when they presented the winners of the Post’s 2024-25 Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen essay contest winners with certificates and prize checks.

The winning contestants, their parents and family, were invited to Post 9676 for the ceremony, which was held prior to the post’s monthly meeting. At the ceremony, each of the winners read their winning essay to assembled post members and their families, and then were presented with individual $150 prize checks for winning first place in the Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen essay contests, and $100 for winning second place in the Patriot’s Pen essay contest.

The annual VFW Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen essay contests allow participating students with the opportunity to win scholarship money from New Mexico VFW competitions at the post, district and state levels.

If the students advance beyond the state level, to the national VFW competition, additional scholarship money can be won, including $5,000 as the top prize for winning the national Patriot’s Pen competition, and $35,000 for winning the national VFW Voice of Democracy competition.

vfw post 9676 cassi cox samantha cox news caileigh hulskamp
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