Students were asked to get creative and create their own patriotic stamp for the annual contest. This year's overall winner is 5th grader Dakota Spence from Corral Drive Elementary.

     Dakota says he used the eagle on his stamp design to represent the American symbol and used Army boots, a helmet and gun to show how soldiers fought for America. Spence says, "Me and my brother kind of thought of the American flag and that children should really get to salute that and just not say the words of saluting it, they should be like, mean it, they should mean what they're saying."

     The president of the Customer Advisory Council says this contest is important because it shows kids how to be patriotic and to appreciate the red, white and blue. Dakota will get to ride in the Veterans Day Parade in Rapid City with his winning stamp design on display.

Tessa Thomas