2009 Circle of Friends Essay Contest

Sponsored by

In March, The Arc, Upper Valley conducted an essay contest for fifth grade students in Grand Forks and East Grand Forks Public Schools, sponsored by Community Bank of the Red River Valley.

 Students were encouraged to write about personal experiences with friends, neighbors, or family members who have an intellectual, cognitive or related developmental disability.  The essays were written after the students viewed the video Forever Friends, which was produced by The Arc, Upper Valley with funding from the North Dakota State Council on Developmental Disabilities, and a brief classroom discussion on disabilities and friendships.

First and second place winners were chosen 120 essays. The first place winner received a $100 savings bond and second place winner received a $50 savings bond, courtesy of Community Bank of the Red River Valley.

1st Place - $100 Savings Bond

My Friend

by Cole Orthaus

     My friend C***** has AHC, but that has not stopped him from anything. He and I are friends and we like to do lots of the same things.

     C***** is my friend because he is very nice and I can trust him!  One of his favorite things to do is watch TV and play sports. One time, C***** and his brothers were playing football and I threw the ball to him and he caught it and scored a touchdown and I ran up to him and gave him a big hug.

     C***** loves watching Sponge Bob and his favorite movie is Star Wars. Sometimes me and C***** play floor hockey and hall ball. One time, C***** kicked the ball and hit a light bulb. Another time we were playing pool and he won.

     But I moved to a different city so now me and C***** cannot play very much anymore, only when we go back to Alexandria and we go to his house. He is always happy to see us. 

     But the most important thing about me and C***** is that we are friends forever.

2nd Place - $50 Savings Bond

My Cousin

by Casi Sexton

     My cousin is my best friend.  He has Hydrocephalus, but that hasn’t stopped him from doing what he wants.  He loves to play with remote control cars and he adores four-wheeling.  He just got a new four wheeler and went riding a few days ago.  My cousin also likes working on cars
Some of his favorite hobbies are swimming, four-wheeling and playing with this puppy.  When he grows up he wants to work on cars and have his own house.

     We like to swim with his sister.  Their family has a water wheel that is super hard to get into because it is like five feet tall and it just floats around and plus, it is heavier than me.

     Hydrocephalus affects the brain in a lot of different ways and he has slight autism. One of his stents was put in at age three and he just went under major surgery in the summer of 2008 to remove wisdom teeth.

     He also has a major tilt to his head, but I don’t know why. He is so nice and caring and he is my best friend.  I wish I could be with him at all times. That is my cousin.

Casi Sexton reads her winning essay to his classmates.

LtoR: Casi Sexton, Kristen Havis of Community Bank of the Red River Valley, and Cole Orthaus.

Cole Orthaus reads his winning essay to his classmates.

The Arc, Upper Valley
2500 DeMers Avenue   PO Box 12420
Grand Forks ND 58208
(701) 772-6191 Phone
(701) 772-2195 Fax