A junior at MAST Academy won a contest to design the July 4 parade T-shirt this year.
Victoria Nguyen,16, won $500 for her design of red, white and blue fireworks with a “Happy 4th of July 2024” in centerpiece. The artwork will be on T-shirts to support Key Biscayne’s celebration that includes its signature parade and fireworks. The parade, which features colorful dancers, expressive bands, and a military jet flyover is in its 65th year.
Toby Rohrer, a member of the th of July Parade Committee, said there were 22 submissions. “It was really tough. There was a lot of back-and-forth,” she said.
Nguyen, who lives on Brickell Key, said her family is of Vietnamese descent and she wanted to show in her drawing “How big the holiday is for Americans.”
The contest is limited to MAST students. Here are the runner-ups:
Second Place Lola Gallo – Grade 11 – $300
Third Place (tie) – Sofia Guiffrida – Grade 10 – $150
Third Place – Josefa Rebolledo – Grade 11 – $150
JOHN PACENTI is the executive editor of the Key Biscayne Independent. John has worked for The Associated Press, the Palm Beach Post, Daily Business Review, and WPTV-TV.