WATERVILLE – The Maine Elks Association honored several youths from across the state on May 1 as part of the 75th annual State Convention. The youths were recognized as state winners of contests sponsored by the association. The awards were presented at a special banquet, attended by more than 300 members, guests and families of the recipients.

The first awards presented were for the Americanism Essay Contest, open to fifth-graders, who wrote a 200 word essay on “Why I am Proud to Say the Pledge of Allegiance.”

State winners were Caitlin Barrows and Jordan Strayer, sponsored by the Bangor Elks Lodge. District winners included Jessica Stratton, Augusta Lodge; Carl Zurhorst, Rumford; Samantha Paquette, Wells; and Ryan Legere, Sanford. The two state winners received a plaque with their essay engraved upon it, along with a monetary award.

There were three drug awareness contests – a coloring contest open to third-graders, a poster contest open to fourth-graders and an essay contest for fifth-graders. The overall theme was “Why I Want to be Drug Free.”

The Elks Drug Awareness contests are used to help educate parents, and to encourage the youth of our country to take a stand against the dangers of drugs, alcohol, and smoking. Presenting the awards was MEA Drug Awareness Director Frank Ricker.

Coloring contest winners were Kolby Knight, Presque Isle, and Kaitlin Langervin, Rumford; poster contest winners, Zackary Pelletier, Biddeford-Saco, and Emily Howell, Bath; and essay winners, Logan Good, Presque Isle, and Lauryn Cote, Augusta.

For more information on the Elks, visit www.elks.org, or visit the local Elks Lodge