Military Child at NSA Naples Bags a Worldwide Win for the Navy Commissary Coloring Contest
29 April 2022
From Petty Officer 1st Class Indra Beaufort
NAPLES, Italy --- The Navy Commissary called on America’s youngest heroes to show off their creative creations for a chance to showcase their artwork on reusable shopping bags around the world.
More than 11,000 children from naval bases around the world submitted their drawings to 234 commissaries at the end of last year. Out of thousands of submissions, nine winners were selected this year to honor Earth Day and Month of the Military Child celebrations in April 2022.
About 30 military children at U.S. Naval Support Activity (NSA) Naples submitted their drawings for the Navy Commissary coloring competition, and only one, won.
NAPLES, Italy --- The Navy Commissary called on America’s youngest heroes to show off their creative creations for a chance to showcase their artwork on reusable shopping bags around the world.
More than 11,000 children from naval bases around the world submitted their drawings to 234 commissaries at the end of last year. Out of thousands of submissions, nine winners were selected this year to honor Earth Day and Month of the Military Child celebrations in April 2022.
About 30 military children at U.S. Naval Support Activity (NSA) Naples submitted their drawings for the Navy Commissary coloring competition, and only one, won.
Lucille Howell, 11, is a fifth-grade student at Naples Elementary School, and she credits her win to her family and the military community that serves and recycles.
“My mom brought up the [coloring competition] to me because she saw a poster in the commissary, “ said Howell. Howell said that she often goes to the commissary with her mother and always looks forward to bonding with her parent.
Howell further said that her drawing is based on her experiences during 2021.
“I tried to connect the drawing with what was happening during the time [of the contest], during COVID-19.”
“I got the idea to put the father in a camouflage military uniform to represent all of the people in the [military], and I put the mother in scrubs because we have a lot of nurses and doctors working on the COVID-19 cases,” said Howell.
Howell said she also credits her win due to her competitive spirit and by using her time wisely.
“I was totally for the competition,” said Howell. “I worked hard on [the drawings] whenever I got home from school. I worked on the drawings whenever I could.”
According to John Legaspi, assistant commissary officer for NSA Naples, the coloring competition is not only educational but also a morale booster for children.
“This is to educate everyone on saving our environment for the future generation. By winning the contest, the individual’s name will appear on the commissary reusable bags,” said Legaspi.
Howell said that her drawing is a self-reflection of being a military child, such as moving into a new country from her longtime home in Hawaii, embracing the cultural differences, remembering old friends and making new ones.
Howell said she is thrilled to see her name and her winning artwork on the reusable bags whenever she visits NSA Naples Commissary with her family, and that her message is spreading across the globe.
“I hope my friends here and from Hawaii will see my drawings, and at least know what recycling is about. It could inspire some people to do the right thing,” said Howell.
NSA Naples is an operational ashore base that enables U.S., allied, and partner nation forces to be where they are needed, when they are needed to ensure security and stability in the European, African, and Central Command areas of responsibility.
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