STURGIS - Jake Soltys, a Grade 11 student at the Sturgis Composite School, was presented with a special certificate denoting his moving tribute poem to those who sacrificed everything for their country. His poem called, A Tribute to the Brave, was written for the Norquay Legion’s annual Remembrance Day poster, essay, poem literacy contest. Betty-Lou Skogen, a representative from the Legion presented Soltys with the certificate and made the announcement that his poem will be going on to the National level of the contest on April 15.
He has received first place recognition at Branch, Zone, District, and Provincial levels for the Gr. 10-12 poetry category. Below is a copy of the award-written poem.
A Tribute to the Brave
In Flanders Fields, the poppies blow,
A symbol of the lives we owe.
We honor those who fought so brave,
Their sacrifice, our freedoms pave.
On Remembrance day we gather near,
To remember those that we hold dear.
Their courage and strength we never forget,
In our hearts their memory is set.
They stood tall, with hearts so true,
Defending what they loved and knew.
For peace and justice they did strive,
Their legacy, forever alive.
So, let us pause in solemn grace,
To honor them, in a sacred place.
With gratitude we bow our heads,
To honor the brave, the living, and the dead.
In Flanders Fields the poppies grow,
To remind us of the debts we owe.
On Remembrance Day we stand as one,
To remember those whose battles are done.
“Through the annual National Youth Remembrance Contests, the Legion National Foundation, with the assistance of The Royal Canadian Legion and schools across the country, invite Canadian youth and children to honour Canada’s Veterans and foster the tradition of Remembrance through visual art, writing, and video,” stated the National Youth Remembrance Contests, the Legion National Foundation. https://www.legion.ca/communities-youth/youth-education/remembrance-contests.
All winners at the national level are awarded a cash prize for their work. First Place Senior Winners are eligible for our most prestigious award which is a trip to Ottawa and an opportunity to represent the youth of Canada at the National Remembrance Day Ceremony.
The contests include multiple levels of competition. Poster and literary works compete first at the Legion Branch local level, with winning entries moving forward until they reach the provincial level. Video entries compete first at the Legion Command provincial level. Provincial finalists of all contests then move forward for final judging by the Legion National Foundation to determine the national winners.
