FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Dana Dorman, Stark Reading Contest Coordinator
409.883.3513
Students and Residents Invited to Support Stark Reading Contest Finalists
ORANGE, Texas, April 19, 2012 – The County Final Competition of the Miriam Lutcher Stark Contest in Reading and Declamation will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 29, 2012, at Lutcher Theater, 707 Main Street in Orange, Texas. Classmates from each high school within Orange County and area residents are invited to attend the competition and support the contestants.
The host of this year’s Final Contest is Bridge City High School. Entertainment will include soloist Shanna Miller, a 4-piece wind ensemble, including musicians John Ellis, Colton Huebel, Ryke Moore and Gregory Sattler and a special performance by Luke Hebert playing the ocarina.
The school-level winners competing in the County Final Contest are listed below.
West Orange-Stark High School – Brittney Perry, Declamation; Paige Pollard, Interpretive Reading
Vidor High School – Julian VanDevender, Declamation; Kinnedy Mitchell, Interpretive Reading
Orangefield High School – Haley Permenter, Declamation; Kirsten Wolfford, Interpretive Reading
Bridge City High School – Jordan Smith, Declamation; Adrian Morgan, Interpretive Reading
Little Cypress-Mauriceville High School – Zoe Casteel, Declamation; Ivy Casteel, Interpretive Reading
The aim of the Stark Reading Contest is to enhance the literary and forensic quality and skills of the students. The Contest has continued annually since its inception in 1904 and offers educational opportunities and experiences for students at Orange County public schools. This year more than 128 students participated and since 2001, almost 1,800 students have competed in the Stark Reading Contest. The first place winners from each of the Orange County schools will compete in the county-wide contest for scholarship awards totaling $15,000.00. All students in the County Final receive a gold watch commemorating the contest, as is tradition for the event since the early 1900s. The Miriam Lutcher Stark Contest in Reading and Declamation is sponsored by the Nelda C. and H.J. Lutcher Stark Foundation as part of its continuing mission to enrich the community and encourage education.
The Frances Ann Lutcher Theater for the Performing Arts will host the County Final Competition of the 108th annual Miriam Lutcher Stark Contest in Reading and Declamation on Sunday, April 29 at 2:00 p.m.
For larger or hi-resolution images, contact Amanda Adams at aadams@starkfoundation.org.
About the Nelda C. and H.J. Lutcher Stark Foundation
The Nelda C. and H.J. Lutcher Stark Foundation is a private operating foundation established in 1961 to encourage and assist education and to improve and enrich the quality of life in Southeast Texas.
The Stark Foundation seeks to continue the legacy of its founders through the programs of the Stark Museum of Art; The W.H. Stark House; the Frances Ann Lutcher Theater for the Performing Arts; Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center; and the Miriam Lutcher Stark Contest in Reading and Declamation. These venues provide the community and region with rich resources and opportunities for study and enjoyment of the arts, history and nature.