VFW Auxiliary kicks off national anthem singing contest

VFW Auxiliary 4668 is kicking off the VFW Auxiliary’s national anthem singing contest for local youths kindergarten through 12th grade. Contestants will compete for a share of $2,000 in national awards.

Contestants must submit a video of their solo vocal performance of “The Star Spangled Banner.” Video must be saved to a flash drive, or uploaded to an online video platform (e.g., YouTube or Vimeo) and submitted to a local auxiliary for judging. The video must be recorded between July 1, 2022, and March 31, 2023. Entries will be judged on vocal ability, mastery of lyrics, originality or interpretation and entertainment value.

Contestants begin by competing at the local VFW Auxiliary level. The first-place winner from each Auxiliary advance’s to the district competition (optional) with district winners advancing to the state competition. The contest consists of two grade divisions: K-8 and 9-12. The state first-place winner in each grade division will be forwarded to Auxiliary National Headquarters. There is one national winner in each grade division, with awards for first, second and third place in each grade division. Winners will be notified the week of July 31, 2023, to the email address provided on the winners’ entry form.

Contestant entries must be submitted to VFW Auxiliary 4668 by March 31, 2023. Interested youth, parents/guardians and teachers should contact Barb Sweger at 815-481-8288 or lillota99@yahoo.com for information.

Visit vfwauxiliary.org/what-we-do/youth-activities for eligibility requirements, contest rules and an entry form. For a locator on the nearest VFW Auxiliary Post, visit vfwauxiliary.org or vfw.org.