Union County Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen and Freeholder Vernell Wright joined Union County Sheriff Joseph Cryan and Union Township Mayor Suzette Cavadas in congratulating Guy Francis from Kawameeh Middle School in Union on being named the Grand Prize winner of the 14th annual PNC Bank “American Patriot Essay Contest,” and fellow student Judd Espejo on winning second place in the statewide competition sponsored by the QuickChek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning in association with PNC Bank. They were joined by family members and representatives from PNC and the balloon festival. It was the first time in the contest’s history that the first and second place finishers are from the same school.
The QuickChek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning in association with PNC Bank congratulated the winners at an event in Union County’s Kawameeh Park that included a tethered ride in 75-foot-tall hot air balloon for the Grand Prize winner in front of his family, hundreds of classmates, township and county officials and dignitaries.