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The Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA), the nation’s leading nonprofit organization supporting the families of junior enlisted military personnel, launched its annual art and essay contest by inviting all eligible children of U.S. active duty, National Guard, or Reserves to enter by writing an essay about their military hero or illustrating their military family in a drawing. The ASYMCA art and essay contest is officially launched every November as part of Military Family Month.

Military Family Month, established by the Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA) in 1993, is a time for Americans to thank our nation’s servicemembers to show our gratitude to their families who sacrifice so much for our country.

Winners of both the art and essay contests have their artwork and essays displayed throughout the country and are recognized at an annual luncheon on Capitol Hill. Entries from the 2007 essay contests were compiled to create MY HERO, which is the first book dedicated to telling the stories of military children and how they are impacted by their parents’ deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.

“Our annual art and essay contest gives children the opportunity to express their appreciation, love and admiration for their military heroes, while reminding us all of the sacrifices our men and women in uniform, and their families, make on behalf of our country,” said Rear Adm. Frank Gallo, USN-Ret., and National Executive Director of ASYMCA.

ASYMCA will award six U.S. savings bonds of $500 for first-place entries and $100 bonds for second place in the art contest. For the essay contest, one $500 first place and one $100 second place bond will be awarded in each grade category: first and second, third and fourth, fifth and sixth, and seventh and eighth. Students in two high school categories, ninth and tenth and eleventh and twelfth, will be awarded $1,000 bonds for first place, and $200 bonds for second place. In addition, there are two $100 bonds for essays of honorable mention.

Entries for the art contest must depict “My Military Family.” The deadline for entries in ASYMCA’s 2009 art contest is Friday, Feb. 20, 2009. The top entries will be used on the 2009 Military Family Month poster sponsored by GEICO .

All entries for the ASYMCA essay contest must be postmarked no later than Friday, March 20, 2009. The essays should tell a story about “My Military Hero.” Official entry forms for both contests are available at www.asymca.org.

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