Merritt Island Lodge sponsored David Von Steinmetz of Edgewood Jr./Sr. High School who won second-place in the 2017-2018 Americanism essay contest. The essay topic was “Why our Veterans are America’s Heroes.” David’s essay won first-place at the lodge level in Division II (seventh and eighth grades) and was then forwarded to the district level and later to the state level. This is truly an outstanding accomplishment for him. He and his parents were guests of the lodge June 15 where he was presented a check for $750. It was an exciting evening for David and his parents as well as the guests who were present to hear the 14-year-old read his essay. Not only is he a good writer but he is also a good speaker.