Five community organizations participated in a special patriotic awards ceremony May 9 at Canyon Ridge Middle School in Surprise.

This included members from the Veterans of Foreign War Post 2135, the Arizona Sons of the American Revolution, the Veterans Heritage Project, the Sun City National Society Daughters of the American Revolution Agua Fria Chapter and the Sun City Elks Lodge 2559. 

Seventh-grade history teacher Christopher Raso’s class participated in the NSDAR American History Essay Contest entitled “My Service in the Second Continental Congress.”

ASDAR Chapter Regent Twila Lobitz presented Lani Faoa with the Chapter’s first place essay winner certificate and medal. Two Agua Fria chapter members, Chapter Parliamentarian Kathie Mittlesteadt and Karrie Burt, and one non-DAR member, Cathy Collins, were the three judges who read the students’ essays.

The eighth-grade classes also participated in the NSDAR essay contest.

Judges for the eighth-grade essays were Kathie Mittelsteadt, DAR chapter member Lynn Conner and non-DAR Terri Brewer.

They selected Kadeyn Goode as the first-place winner and she was also given a certificate and medal.

In addition to recognizing the winning entries, the Agua Fria Chapter provided a certificate of participation in the contest to every seventh- and eighth-student who submitted an essay.

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