Contest Honors our Nation's Heroes

Paralyzed Veterans of America announces Winners of 4th Annual Veterans Day Poster & Essay Contest

Savannah Martin and Clare “Ce Ce” Pratt have been selected the grand prize winners in the Paralyzed Veterans of America (Paralyzed Veterans) fourth annual Veterans Day Poster and Essay Contests. Martin and Pratt’s entries were chosen from more than 500 posters and 800 essays, respectively, that expressed the contest theme “Veterans Day: Honoring Our Nation’s Heroes.”  Click here to view their winning contest entries.

Martin, who is from Sioux Falls, SD, is a 9-year-old student at John Harris Elementary. Her poster was in honor of her grandfather, who was an Air Force fighter pilot. It incorporated the American flag and themes of patriotism and honor outlining the shape of a soldier. The poster was captioned: “They became part of America. America became part of them.”

Pratt, 11, attends St. Mary’s Catholic School in Boise, ID. Her essay reflected on the many sacrifices veterans make to help their country stay safe and keep our rights protected. She wrote, “…if it were not for the dedication of our veterans we would not be free and be in a place where we are safe.” Her concluding statement reiterates the work of Paralyzed Veterans each day: “We all love our veterans and should celebrate them every day…not just once a year.”

The grand-prize winning students will be flown to Washington, DC, with a family member to attend the Veterans Day observances at Arlington National Cemetery and Paralyzed Veterans’ Veterans Day reception, where they will receive awards.

Paralyzed Veterans launched the poster and essay contests as a way to creatively and actively involve America’s youth in the celebration of Veterans Day and to promote greater awareness of America’s 26 million veterans and the sacrifices they have made to ensure the freedoms we enjoy daily. The contest has grown steadily each year since its launch in 2003.

Click here to learn more about the Veterans Day poster and essay contest and view the contest entries.

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