NOTE: Although this press release was designed as a sample Department winner announcement, it can also be used to announce your Post/District winner (with slight text modifications.)
<State> TeacherReceivesVFW Award
<city>, <state abbreviation>. (<month<day, year>)– The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Department of <state>announces<teacher’s full name>, a <grade/s he/she teaches>grade teacher at <school’s full name>in <school’s city>, <school’s state (abbreviated)>., as a local winner of this year’s Smart/Maher VFW National Citizenship Education Teacher Award. teacher’s name was selected from entries submitted to VFW Posts across <VFW Department>. VFW Post name/number> and its Auxiliary in <Post’s city>,<Post’s state (abbreviated)>.,sponsored teacher’s name.
<He/She> will now compete for the VFW Teacher of the Year award. Each year, three national recipients receive a $1,000 donation to their individual professional development account,a $1,000grant to their school andan all-expense-paid trip to attendthe VFW National Convention in Julyto receive their national award. During the nationwide competition, the VFW recognizes more than 1,000 teachers at various levels, presenting hundreds of thousands of dollars in awards.
“We are soappreciative of teacher’s nameand every teacher who participated in the program. Their commitment to teach good citizenship to their students will greatly benefit our communities as these students grow into involved adults,”says VFW Department of <state> Commander <full name>.
The VFW Teacher of the Year award program was enacted in 1999 as a way to identify and recognize America’s best educators who instill a sense of national pride in students by teaching citizenship education topics regularly and promoting America’s history and traditions effectively. The program continues to exceed expectations and program administrators expect the number of participants will continue to grow each year.
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ABOUT THE VFW: The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. is the nation's largest and oldest major war veterans’ organization. Founded in 1899 and chartered by Congress in 1936, the VFW is comprised entirely of eligible veterans and military service members from the active, Guard and Reserve forces. With nearly 1.7 million VFW and Auxiliary members located in nearly 6,400 Posts worldwide, the nonprofit veterans’ service organization is proud to proclaim “NO ONE DOES MORE FOR VETERANS” than the VFW, which is dedicated to veterans’ service, legislative advocacy, and military and community service programs. For more information or to join, visit our website at
Contact: <Name>
<Phone number>
<Email address>