Winners from the 118th Stark Reading ContestLeft to Right: Shelby Eason - 2nd Place in Interpretive Reading (Orangefield), Triston Tinkle - 1st Place in Interpretive Reading (Vidor), Ashley Callahan - 1st Place in Declamation (Vidor), Sadie Prouse - 2nd Place in Declamation (Orangefield) — Winners from the 118th Stark Reading Contest
Left to Right: Shelby Eason - 2nd Place in Interpretive Reading (Orangefield), Triston Tinkle - 1st Place in Interpretive Reading (Vidor), Ashley Callahan - 1st Place in Declamation (Vidor), Sadie Prouse - 2nd Place in Declamation (Orangefield)
Nelda C. and H.J. Lutcher Stark Foundation

This year's Stark Reading Contest County Final date has been announced and will grant scholarships to the students who win.

The 119th Stark Reading Contest, a program sponsored by the Nelda C. and H.J. Lutcher Stark Foundation, will take place at 2 p.m. April 23. Students who have won first place at the many local competitions held at five high schools in Orange County will compete in the categories of declamation and interpretive reading, according to a news release from the Stark Foundation.

The second place winners in each category will receive a $2,500 scholarship, while the first place winner will receive a $5,000 scholarship. Each finalist will also receive an engraved watch, a time honored tradition of the contest.

Between preliminary and local final rounds, 100 total students from the five schools competed.

"For more than a century, we have had the honor of sponsoring this literary contest for local students," said Hannah Danielson, director of education for The W.H. Stark House. "These students work hard to prepare for this competition and we are very proud of their determination and skill level."

Over the past months, local final competitions for the reading contest have been held Bridge City, Little Cypress-Mauriceville, Orangefield, Vidor and West Orange-Stark.

The contest is sponsored by the Nelda C. and H.J. Lutcher Stark Foundation as part of its "continuing mission to enrich the quality of life in the Orange community and encourage education."

The aim of the contest is to increase the literary, forensic quality and skills of public high school students in Orange County.

The event on April 23 is free and open to the public. For more information about the contest or the Stark Foundation, go to their website at starkfoundation.org.