Winners Of Darien's DAR American History Essay Contest Announced

Information via Darien’s Good Wife’s River Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution

DARIEN, CT — Darien’s Good Wife’s River Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution recently held an American history essay contest, and the winners have been announced.

Kalel Attonito, a fifth grader at Hindley School, won first place, and Ox Ridge student Caroline Hill placed second. Third place was won by Maya Raman from Royle School.

Students were honored by the DAR Chapter Essay Contest Chairman Sandi MacPherson and DAR Regent Karen K. Polett, along with many local chapter members at the Noroton Presbyterian Church.

Winners received an NSDAR Certificate signed by the president general and a gift certificate to Barrett Bookstore donated by owner Sheila Daley.

The students were asked to imagine they were a newspaper reporter for The Philadelphia Times on May 14, 1897, when John Philip Sousa first played his new march, "The Stars and Stripes Forever." This song would become the national march of the United States on Dec. 11, 1987.

The essay needed to give information about Sousa's life and the story behind the song. The students were instructed to write the essay after the first performance and give their thoughts on the music and how the audience reacted.

Attonito's winning essay has been sent to the Connecticut State DAR where it will compete with other winning essays from throughout the state.

The CT winner will go on to the Division round, then to the National Society DAR in Washington, D.C.