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Los Lunas

VFW post presents awards to students

The VFW Post 9676 in Los Lunas presented certificates and prize checks to their 2025-26 Voice of Democracy (VOD) and Patriot’s Pen (PP) essay contest winners. Making the presentations were Post Commander Chet Pino, right, and Post 2025-26 Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen Chairman and Sr. Vice Commander John Tull, left, who are shown with this year’s repeat winners from last year, who are sisters: Voice of Democracy first-place winner Samantha Cox, second from right, a Bosque Farms, home-schooled sophomore, who is taking classes through Liberty University Online Academy and Colorado Christian University. The Patriot’s Pen first-place winner Cassi Cox, second from left, of Bosque Farms, a home-schooled eighth-grader. They are the daughters of Phillip and Kelli Cox.
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LOS LUNAS­--On Jan. 14, 2026, VFW Post 9676 in Los Lunas held an awards ceremony where they presented the winners of the Post’s 2025-26 Voice of Democracy (VOD) and Patriot’s Pen (PP) essay contest winners with certificates and prize checks.

The winning contestants and their parents 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 parents and then were presented with individual $200 prize checks for winning first place in the Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen essay contests.

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.

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