 On Thursday and Friday, Newtown's VFW announced the winner in a contest for students at Reed Intermediate School and Newtown Middle School to write an essay on what patriotism means to them.
The winner, 6th-grader Quinn McAndrew, also came in second place at the district level, according to the VFW's Donna Monteleone Randle. Connecticut's VFW awards up to $46,000 every year in the competition.
"Quinn has a strong belief in the US and what it stands for," the VFW said in a statement. "He believes that our freedom is what makes us the greatest country. He believes that US citizens when brought together for a common good/cause can accomplish anything. Quinn has a love for history and learning from history (presidents, wars, conflicts, civil rights, etc). He has great respect for his elders and their bravery in war and what they had to endure and experience (grandparents, great uncles, etc) and the times they lived in, through the depression and cold war."
Quinn's award was announced Friday at Reed Intermediate School.
Second-place winners were Jackie Seras and Jermane Anyoha, both in Ron Chivinski's 8th-grade class.
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