FESTIVAL OFFERS FUN AT HOME LEARNING

AND CHANCE TO WIN RIDE IN HOT AIR BALLOON

Patriotic Essay Contest Deadline Extended to June 1

READINGTON, NJ --- Students and educators can reach new heights with this fun lesson they can do while learning from home.

The New Jersey Lottery Festival of Ballooning and PNC Bank have extended the deadline for students to take part in the 17th annual PNC Bank “American Patriot Essay Contest” by writing a short essay on the topic “What the American Flag Means to Me.”

The Grand Prize winner will receive the opportunity to take a ride in a hot air balloon at this year’s 38^th annual New Jersey Lottery Festival of Ballooning in Association with PNC Bank, July 24-25-26, 2020 at Solberg Airport in Readington, NJ.

The deadline to enter has been extended to June 1, giving those learning remotely and staying home a way to stay connected to the annual summer festival.

The Festival VIP Grand Prize package includes a hot air balloon ride for two, four Blue Sky Club VIP tickets, and the opportunity to meet one of this year’s concert headliners, which in the past have included Disney teen sensations such as the Jonas Brothers and Demi Lovato. Second- and third-place prizes will also be awarded.

All teachers in the state who submit a group of 15 essays or more on behalf of their students will receive two free general admission tickets to the Festival regardless of whether one of their students submits the winning essay.

The PNC Bank “American Patriot Essay Contest” is open to New Jersey students in grades 2 through 12. The essays must be 100 words or less. They will be judged by a panel of representatives from PNC Bank and the balloon festival. Winning essays will be selected based on creativity, poignancy and clarity with consideration given to the grade level of the contestant.

HOW TO ENTER

Entries should be mailed to Essay Judges, New Jersey Lottery Festival of Ballooning, 363 Route 46 West, Suite 200, Fairfield, NJ, 07004, or emailed to [email protected]. Entries should include the student’s name, grade, and age; the school name, address, and telephone number; and the name of their teacher and the teacher’s school email address. The deadline to enter is June 1, 2020.

Additional information may be found at www.balloonfestival.com/pncessay.

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MEDIA CONTACT: 

Russ Mensch

Mensch & Company, Inc.

Public Relations & Event Marketing

phone: 201-797-2448

email: [email protected]