The QuickChek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning and PNC Bank are inviting New Jersey students in second through 12th grades to take part in the 12th annual PNC Bank American Patriot Essay Contest by writing a short essay on the topic “What the American Flag Means to Me.”
The essays must be 100 words or fewer. Winning essays will be selected based on creativity, poignancy and clarity, with consideration given to the grade level of the author. Contestants are not required to be U.S. citizens.
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 to the 33rd annual QuickChek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning and music festival, set for July 24-26 at Solberg Airport, Readington: 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.
The winning student’s immediate classmates will each receive a complimentary general-admission ticket to the festival. The winning student’s teacher and principal will each receive two Blue Sky Club VIP tickets. Second- and third-place prizes, featuring festival admission and merchandise, also will be awarded.
All teachers in the state who submit a group of at least 15 essays 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.
Entries should be submitted by May 1 to Essay Judges, QuickChek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning, 363 Route 46 West, Suite 200, Fairfield, NJ 07004. Students may also enter by logging on to www.balloonfestival.com or by emailing their essays to [email protected].
Entries should include the student’s name, home or school address, home or school telephone number, grade, age, school name and teacher’s name.