Pride and Patriotism event set for Thursday
Pride and Patriotism of Lee County will hold its annual performance at Barbara B. Mann Hall this week featuring the youth of Lee County public and charter schools.
The 2019 Pride and Patriotism, which has a theme of the 100th anniversary of the ending of World War I, will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7, at Barbara B. Mann Hall, 13350 FSW Pkwy.
Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at the box office.
President Jack Wagner said the organization was founded by Dr. Elinor Scricca, a school board member, after teachers and veterans sat down and worked out the Pride and Patriotism program.
“It was absolutely fantastic,” Wagner said of the first program in 2003 celebrating arts and Veterans Day.
The inaugural performance attracted approximately 800 people and now it has an average of 1,500 in attendance.
In 2011, Pride and Patriotism changed to Pride and Patriotism of Lee County after it began inviting charter schools students to join kindergarten through 12th grade students of the Lee County School District.
Thisyear the event will feature four categories: visual arts, drawing and painting; visual arts, photography and digital design and poetry.
Children in grades kindergarten through second grade have a theme of “Veterans Day;” grades third to fifth have a theme of “Leaving Home to go to War;” grades sixth to eighth theme is “Over There;” grades ninth and 10th theme is “Signing of the Treaty of Versailles” and grades eleventh and twelfth have a theme of “The War to End all Wars.”
“It’s really kind of cool. These kids are very innovative in what they talk about and paint,” Wagner said.
The students that win first, second and third place will be presented with a medal on stage by a veteran with their teacher. There will be a total of 36 winners.
“A veteran will put a medal around their neck,” Wagner said.
The winners art will be displayed in the lobby at Barbara B. Mann and the poetry contest winners will have their poem displayed on the screen when they walk on stage.
The program also includes a musical component, which this year will feature the North Fort Myers orchestra as the stage orchestra. Wagner said they will also have a marching band.
Every year the program has a different theme. Last year it was Women in Military, which highlighted Sen. Tammy Duckworth, who was one of the first women in a combat mission during Iraqi Freedom.