Delaware Valley High School sophomore Clare Erwin of Holland Township, N.J., has added the District 19 (Hunterdon County) title to her Frenchtown-Milford win in the Veterans of Foreign Wars Voice of Democracy speech contest.
Although there are five VFW posts in the county, the Frenchtown-Milford Post 7857 dominates the annual competition. That’s because Del Val history teacher Jim Kluska and English teacher Tara Civitillo use the patriotic exercise as a writing prompt for their students. This year’s topic was “Why My Vote Matters,” and Erwin’s effort was one of almost 70 entries.
She won a check for $500 from the Frenchtown-Milford post. Karla Jenkins got $300 for second prize, and Nicole Planer got $100 for third prize.
The Hunterdon County win netted Erwin an additional $200. The check, a plaque and a congratulatory handshake were presented by VFW rep Gerald Cadwallader at Del Val on Dec. 13. As a district winner, Erwin was invited to a Jan. 19 banquet in Cherry Hill at which the statewide Voice of Democracy winner as announced.
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