Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – A Springfield family recently got the chance to compete in two big “America 250“-themed competitions.
In one case, Kate Lasnoski says her daughter Faustina was one of two winners from Illinois in the National Endowment for the Humanities National American Heroes Student Art Contest, and showed off her work in the Nation’s Capitol.
“That competition gave any student that was in grade school a list of 250 American heroes, and asked them to do a piece of art reflecting on that hero in some way,” said Kate, on the WTAX Morning Newswatch. “My daughter really loves Dr. Seuss, so she did a Dr. Seuss-inspired picture with a birthday cake for America with 250 candles on it.”
Kate says while in Washington with her daughter, she happened to see information about the competition her son Maksymilian took part in — the national “Patriot Games” representing Illinois in his age group based on Army-type competitions and the President’s Physical Fitness Test. That competition lasted for several days starting this past weekend.
“It was magnificent. It’s a once-in-a lifetime experience,” said Kate. “The chances of anybody becoming an actual professional athlete are not great. But, to be treated like a professional athlete, and to be encouraged like a professional athlete, and then to get that coverage, was, really, magnificent.”
Highlights of the competition aired Thursday on ABC and ESPN, but the entirety of the competition was streamed live. Kate says her son did well, but did not win in his age division. She believes her son would do it again, even if he wasn’t a big fan of having to use a medicine ball at times.
Overall, Kate says, both experiences were as important as they were special.
“I think they taught (the kids) just how privileged they are to be citizens of this country, and this magnificent thing the project that our country is, is — that it’s been here for 250 years, and that the freedom and the liberties and the privileges we enjoy as Americans are not to be taken for granted,” said Kate.
