PADUCAH, Ky. – At a time when community leaders work to address the challenges of social and racial injustice in their communities, the message that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. brought to the nation more than 60 years ago continues to be relevant today.

To honor King’s life and legacy, Four Rivers Nuclear Partnership (FRNP) sponsored and presented student awards in the NAACP Fredericka Hargrove Essay and Poster Contest in a virtual event on Jan. 18.

FRNP is the Paducah Site deactivation and remediation contractor for EM’s Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office.

Four Rivers Nuclear Partnership Program Manager Myrna Redfield participates in a NAACP virtual award presentation to announce winners of this year’s Fredericka Hargrove Essay and Poster Contest.
Four Rivers Nuclear Partnership Program Manager Myrna Redfield participates in a NAACP virtual award presentation to announce winners of this year’s Fredericka Hargrove Essay and Poster Contest.

The virtual competition was open to students grades K-12. Students were asked to write an essay or design a poster with the theme “Good Trouble: Honoring the Life of John Lewis.”

This year’s winners from area schools included: Jaxon Thomas and Aniya James from McNabb Elementary School for grades K-3; Malachi Bailey, Regan McGullion, and Emma Goggins from Clark Elementary School for grades 4-5; Preston Goodyke, Naarah White, and Jada Meadows, seventh graders from Paducah Middle School (PMS); Ryan Bidwell, Erica Wurth, and Maggie Rowton, eighth graders from PMS; and Kate Bidwell, Megan Gruber, and Jasmine Meadows, high school students from Paducah Tilghman.

This is the third consecutive year that FRNP has sponsored this community event.

“Our company is committed to enriching the lives of Paducah students and their families through education and mentorship. We do this through partnerships with organizations, such as the NAACP, and we were honored to participate in this year’s contest and event,” FRNP Program Manager Myrna Redfield said.