School age children, first through twelve, will submit an essay, 200 words or less, explaining “What AAFES means to me and my family.”

There will be four categories with three winners from each category:

• 1st – 3rd Grade
• 4th – 6th Grade
• 7th – 9th Grade
• 10th – 12th Grade

Prizes for the Winning Essays are:
1st – 3rd Grade

• Grand Prize: Desktop Computer
• 2nd Prize: $500 Savings Bond
• 3rd Prize: $200 Savings Bond

4th – 6th Grade

• Grand Prize: Desktop Computer
• 2nd Prize: $500 Savings Bond
• 3rd Prize: $200 Savings Bond

7th – 9th Grade

• Grand Prize: Laptop Computer
• 2nd Prize: $500 Savings Bond
• 3rd Prize: $200 Savings Bond

10th – 12th Grade

• Grand Prize: Laptop Computer
• 2nd Prize: $500 Savings Bond
• 3rd Prize: $200 Savings Bond

Winning entries will be put into the Weekly Sales Promotion Tabloid

Entries can be submitted by mail to:

Army Air Force Exchange Service
Attn: Patriot Family BTS Essay (MK-M2-Strategic Marketing)
3911 So Walton Walker Blvd
Dallas TX 75236

Mailed entries must be postmarked no later than August 31, 2008.

Or emailed to patriotfamily@aafes.com no later than August 31, 2008. Include BTS  Essay in the subject line.

Eligibility:

Students are eligible to participate if they are in grades first through twelve and dependents of military or DOD personnel (excluding AAFES employees.) Students may be attending a public, private, or parochial school or participating in a high school correspondence program. Entries from home-schooled students are also accepted. Students must be in grades first through twelve on contest deadline.

Rules:

• Type your essay, double-spaced, on one side of white 8 1/2 by 11 inch paper with left and right margins set at 1 1/4 inches each. When emailing essay, essay can be double spaced in word document format or doubled spaced and typed into the email message itself.
• Answer the essay contest question in no more than 200words.
• Write the essay in English on what the AAFES benefit means to you and your family. More information about the AAFES benefit can be found online at aafes.com - Patriot Family link.
• Include your name, school, age, grade level and address on the left hand top of your essay.
• Attach the student registration/release form to the top of your essay or add into the email message.  Registration/release form can be found online at aafes.com - Patriot Family link.
• Entries must be original, non-published works that do not infringe on any third party rights. AAFES reserves the right to disqualify entries that do not follow the rules, stray from original subject matter, include inappropriate language and references or at its sole discretion.

* Submitted essays will become property of AAFES.