Published December 21. 2021 12:39PM
On Dec. 4, Northampton Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4714 held its annual Voice of Democracy awards ceremony at Samuel Owens Restaurant and Bar, 128 Chestnut St., Coplay. Students from Northampton Area High School were competing in an essay for scholarship money. This year’s VFW theme was “America: Where do we go from here?”
Three student winners were selected, and each received scholarship money based on their first-, second- and third-place position. In addition, each student received a certificate of achievement and other gifts from VFW Post Commander Larry Schlittler.
The students’ essays will be entered into the VFW District 20 VOD program and judged among contestants from 12 other VFW posts. Winners at the district level will then proceed to the state level and finally to the VFW national level, with a top scholarship award of $30,000.
The students selected in Post 4714’s VOD contest are senior Wesley Burkit, first place; senior Jillian Bond, second place; and junior Payton Huff, third place.
PRESS PHOTO BY MIKE LUBERTI JR. From left, Larry Schlittler, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4714 commander; Northampton Area High School senior Wesley Burkit, first-place winner; NAHS junior Payton Huff, third-place winner; and Jerry Batcha, NAHS teacher/adviser, gather for a group photo during a Voice of Democracy program Dec. 4 at Samuel Owens Restaurant and Bar, 128 Chestnut St., Coplay. Not pictured is NAHS senior Jillian Bond, second-place winner.
