Excitement and pride filled City Hall Tuesday as Arlington Animal Services hosted a reception honoring the 12 winners of the annual Animal Essay Contest.
"It's such a joy to see them all excited," said Cheri Colbert, Animal Services' volunteer and marketing coordinator, who headed the project this year. Each winter the contest is open to all students in grades three through six that reside in Arlington - no matter the type of school or district.
City Council Member Sheri Capehart started the endeavor 13 years ago with fellow animal advocate Dr. Allan Saxe, who wanted to create a program that promoted animal welfare education at an early age. The essay contest is designed for children to consider the responsibilities that go along with pet ownership.
Each grade level had a different essay question to answer in 500 words or less. Winning essays passed two rounds of judging. Animal Services Board members identified the top 10 essays from each grade level out of the 1,018 entries before Council Member Capehart and a representative from Arlington ISD, Mansfield ISD and Kennedale ISD selected the final winners.
Capehart credited teachers for the increase in the writing quality she has noticed since the initial contest. She also thanked parents for encouraging their children to write. "It is remarkable what they can express through their writing," she noted.
Before being individually announced at the City Council meeting, the winners, their families and their teachers gathered upstairs at City Hall to enjoy cookies and punch and read the essays displayed on large posters. Each student left the night with a certificate and Kindle Fire, a prize from sponsor Vantage Energy.
"I'm so impressed with how important they've made it," said Amanda Lumpkin, mother of fifth grade winner Gracie Lumpkin, referring to everyone involved with coordinating the contest. "They've put a lot of effort into making it special."
The fanfare began in February when City Council member Sheri Capehart surprised the winners at school alongside Animal Services representatives, families, friends and contest sponsors.
The winner notification has evolved since its early years when announcements went out by phone. Capehart wanted to make it more special, so the project's team members began notifying the teachers, principals and parents before surprising the winning essayists in person. As years passed, parents and family members began showing up for the surprise winner announcements, making the celebrations even more meaningful.
The final stop on the winners' agenda is a behind-the-scenes tour of the Animal Services Center on Saturday where they will also read their essays aloud. Then, the students are invited to go to the Arlington Public Library to learn how to check out and download eBooks for their Kindle Fires.
Last Saturday, EECU helped the awardees with their additional contest prize - a $100 savings account.
Animal Services, the Office of Communication and Council Member Sheri Capehart sponsored the contest with community support from EECU, Vantage Energy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram and UT Arlington's TRIO Pre-College Programs.
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