"For God & Country" Letter Contest

Each school year, the 7th and 8th grade students at Lewis F. Mayer Middle School, St. Angela Merici School, and Messiah Lutheran School compete in a letter writing contest aimed at acknowledging the overseas members of our Armed Forces and expressing gratitude for their sacrifices in keeping the United States safe and free.

Referred to as "For God and Country," this contest received its name from the letter prompt given to students: "Why God, country, and the men and women who serve in our Armed Forces are important to our country’s freedom." The year 2014 marks the 38th year of the For God and Country program.

Student letters are submitted to the We Do Care Committee annually and judged by a group of volunteer residents. Letters are selected from each school as winners and are read aloud at a meeting of the Fairview Park City Council. The winning student authors are publicly identified and receive a certificate acknowledging their success.

The 2014 winners of the For God and Country contest will be recognized and their letters read at the November 17 meeting of City Council. Copies of the winning letters will be sent to troops stationed at almost 200 installations around the world.

Fairview Park’s We Do Care Committee was founded by resident and chairman Harriet Beekman in 1976 in response to diminishing patriotism during the Vietnam era. The Committee was formed in an effort to encourage students in Fairview Park to consider and understand how our Armed Forces have helped ensure freedom in the United States.

Eileen Ann Patton, Mayor

Eileen Ann Patton is the Mayor of the City of Fairview Park. 

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Volume 2, Issue 5, Posted 2:49 PM, 11.12.2014