PNC Bank and the Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning are inviting New Jersey students in grades 2-12 to take part in the 10th annual PNC Bank American Patriot Essay Contest. The essays must be 100 words or less and based on the topic “What the American Flag Means to Me.” Winning essays will be selected based on creativity, poignancy and clarity, with consideration given to the grade level of the contestant. Contestants are not required to be U.S. citizens. The essays will be judged by a panel of representatives from PNC Bank and the balloon festival.
Entries should be submitted by May 3 through mail to Essay Judges, Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning, 363 Route 46 West, Suite 200, Fairfield, NJ 07004. Students can also enter the contest through www.balloonfestival.com or by emailing their essay to [email protected].
Entries should include the student’s name, home or school address, home or school tele- phone number, grade, age, school name and the name of their teacher.
The grand prize winner will receive a visit to his or her school by a 75-foot-tall hot air balloon in June and a special VIP package at this year’s festival, which includes a hot air balloon ride for two, four Blue Sky Club VIP tickets, and the opportunity to meet one of this year’s concert headliners.
Second and third place prizes consisting of festival admission, and merchandise will be also awarded. The winning student’s immediate classmates will also each receive one complimentary general-admission ticket to the festival, which will be held from July 26-28 at Solberg Airport in Readington. The winning student’s teacher and school principal will each receive two Blue Sky Club VIP tickets.
All teachers in the state who submit a group of 15 essays or more on behalf of their students will receive two free general-admission tickets to the festival, regardless of whether one of their students submits the winning essay.