JULY 29-31, 2022
Solberg Airport - Readington, NJ 800-HOT-AIR-9
Countdown to Festival Fun
|
Until the 2020
|
|
Quick Chek New Jersey
|
|
Festival of Ballooning!
|
HAZLET 3rd GRADER WINS RIDE IN HOT AIR BALLOON AT SCHOOL INSPIRED BY HER FAMILY’S MILITARY SERVICE, WINS AMERICAN FLAG ESSAY CONTEST
History is Made as School Produces Its Second Winner
HAZLET, NJ --- When 9-year-old Sara Topolewski sees the American Flag, she thinks of the military. More specifically, she thinks of her family.
The third grade student from Raritan Valley School in Hazlet, NJ has been named the Grand Prize winner of the 16th annual PNC Bank “American Patriot Essay Contest,” a statewide competition sponsored by the QuickChek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning in Association with PNC Bank in which school children in grades 2 through 12 throughout New Jersey wrote about “What the American Flag Means to Me.”
Between both sides of her family, eight people have served in America’s Armed Forces in the Army, Navy and Marines for a combined 61 years, including World War II and Viet Nam, with two killed in the line of duty and a third receiving a Purple Heart for wounds sustained during gun fire. Her grandfather Gerald (“pop-pop”), a Navy veteran, in particular provided the inspiration for Sara’s winning essay, which includes his giving her a military pin for her sixth birthday.
As part of her Grand Prize, the Festival and PNC Bank will bring a 75-foot-tall hot air balloon to her school Monday, June 17, where she will take a tethered ride in the balloon in front of her family, hundreds of classmates, school and board of education officials.
Her heartfelt essay was selected the best among the thousands of essays received by a panel of judges comprised of PNC Bank and Balloon Festival staff and educators. The contest was held as part of PNC’s community outreach efforts through its association with the QuickChek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning.
Sara also gets to go up, up and away for a ride in one of the 100 hot air balloons at the upcoming 37th annual festival, July 26-27-28, in Readington, NJ. Fittingly, it will be in the 5-story tall “PNC Salutes America” special shaped American Flag hot air balloon. She and her family will also enjoy a VIP experience package and tickets to the Festival.
Each of her 16 classmates, her teacher, and her school principal receive free tickets to the event, the largest summertime hot air balloon and music festival in North America.
Her teacher, Ann Manning, becomes the first teacher to ever have two winners in the history of the statewide contest.
“The only direction I give my students before they write their essays is to make it personal, to write about a part of their life,” said Manning, who also had a winning essay submitted by Michael Miano in 2016.
“It was extremely heartfelt to see the very personal meaning the flag has to Sara and to read how important her grandfather’s and her family’s military service is to her,” said Festival Executive Producer Howard Freeman. “Her essay best captured the spirit of both the essay contest and of the American flag. QuickChek, PNC and the festival are proud to present her with this award.”
“The PNC American Patriot Essay Contest gives students across New Jersey the chance to display their love of country and their skill with words,” said Joe Whall, PNC Senior Vice President and Director of Client & Community Relations. “We are delighted to continue to support the essay contest as part of our overall sponsorship of the QuickChek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning in Association with PNC Bank. Talent and patriotism are indeed alive and well in the Garden State.”
Ivy Chen, an eighth grade student at St. Joseph the Carpenter School in Roselle, took second place. Maria George, a seventh grade student at John Adams Middle School in Edison, was third. They each receive complimentary admission into the Festival, as do all teachers in the state who submitted 15 or more essays on behalf of their students.
For additional information on the contest and the QuickChek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning in Association with PNC Bank visit www.balloonfestival.com.
###
MEDIA CONTACT:
Russ Mensch
Mensch & Company, Inc.
Public Relations & Event Marketing
phone: 201-797-2448
email: [email protected]
|
Browse by Year »
2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004
Browse by Month »
July 2021 June 2021 April 2021 January 2021 December 2020 August 2020 June 2020 May 2020 March 2020 February 2020 October 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 October 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 February 2016 January 2016 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 July 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 July 2013 April 2013 February 2013 January 2013 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 March 2012 February 2012 October 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 December 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 March 2005 February 2005 December 2004 |
