9th Annual Patriotic Essay Contest - Grades 2 - 12

9th Annual Patriotic Essay Contest - Grades 2 - 12

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PNC Bank and the Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning are once again inviting New Jersey students in grades 2 through 12 to take part in the 9th annual PNC Bank American Patriot Essay Contest by writing a short essay on the topic “What the American Flag Means to Me.”  

The largest summertime hot air balloon and music festival in North America celebrates its 30th anniversary July 27-28-29, 2012 at Solberg Airport in Readington, NJ and features the PNC Bank American Flag balloon, the largest free-flying flag in the world.  The Festival has been named one of the Top 100 Events in North America five times and has been selected as the No. 1 Thing to Do in New Jersey in 2012 by New Jersey Monthly magazine.  

This year’s Grand Prize winner will receive a visit to his or her school by a gigantic, 75-foot-tall hot air balloon in June and a special VIP package at this year’s Festival: 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, which have included the Jonas Brothers and Disney stars Demi Lovato and Emily Osment in the past.  Second and third place prizes consisting of Festival admission and merchandise will be also awarded.  The winning student’s immediate classmates will each receive one complimentary general admission ticket to the Festival and the winning student’s teacher and school principal will each receive two Blue Sky Club VIP tickets.  

Every teacher in the state who submits 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.   The essays should be 100 words or less.  They will be judged by a panel of representatives from PNC Bank and the balloon festival.  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.  Entries should be submitted by May 1, 2012 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 the Festival web site at www.balloonfestival.com or by emailing their essays to information@balloonfestival.com.   Entries should include the student’s name, home or school address, home or school telephone number, grade, age, school name and the name of their teacher.  All are welcome.