McMurray VFW honors contest winners
Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 764 in McMurray and VFW District 24, Washington and Greene counties, recently celebrated the patriotism of the region’s middle school and high school students during the organization’s annual Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen awards ceremony.
In the Voice of Democracy competition, Juliette Langley, a freshman at Peters Township High School, earned first place in the VFW Post 764 competition and the VFW District 24 competition. Langley then competed at the state level, where she earned sixth place.
The Voice of Democracy program allows high school students across the state to compete in an essay and speech contest based on a patriotic theme. This year’s theme was “My Responsibility to America.”
Other Voice of Democracy winners at the VFW Post 764 level were Deanne Murray of McMurray, second, and Angela Roberts of Venetia, third.
Other Voice of Democracy winners at the VFW District 24 level were Sadie Presto, representing VFW Post 927 in Washington, second, and Maylyn Torpey, representing VFW Post 6553 in Slovan, third.
In the Patriot’s Pen competition, Mary Laster, an eighth-grader at Peters Township Middle School, placed first in the VFW Post 764 competition and the District 24 competition. The essay and speech theme for the middle school students this year was “The America I Believe In.”
Other Patriot’s Pen winners at the VFW Post 764 level were David Watterson of McMurray, second, and Katelyn Stokan of Venetia, third.
Other Patriot’s Pen winners at the VFW District 24 level were Lily Rabbitt, representing VFW Post 1409 in Monongahela, second, and Tayah Swanson, representing VFW Post 927 in Washington, third.