Essay lands youngster spot at King memorial BY TALI ISRAELI Staff Writer MARLBORO - Lara Berger was one of 50 youngsters chosen to visit Washington, D.C., after winning a national essay contest about civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. During the 2005-06 school year, second-graders at the Frank J. Dugan Elementary School, Topanemus Road, participated in a national essay contest called "Kids for King." The contest was sponsored by the Washington, D.C., Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation Inc. A memorial honoring King will be built on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The memorial will be situated adjacent to the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial and in direct line between the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials, according to the foundation's Internet Web site. Lara, 8, now in third grade, was one of 50 students selected to attend the groundbreaking ceremony of the memorial in the nation's capital on Nov. 13. Lara said last year's contest was for any student in second through 12th grade across the country. According to the foundation's Web site, more than 3,500 students submitted an essay of 75 words or less about what King's dream for a better America meant to them. The first 12 winners of the contest were announced on Aug. 28, which marked the 43rd anniversary of the civil rights March on Washington. Lara was one of the 12 winners. The remaining 38 participants were randomly selected and announced on Oct. 27. Lara's second-grade teacher, Phyllis Seidler, said that in January all of the second-grade teachers at the Dugan School present a Martin Luther King Freedom Tea, in which the children learn to respect each other, to solve problems peacefully, to learn tolerance and to learn that what counts is what is inside a person, not what they look like. Seidler said when the principal heard about the contest later in the year, all of the second-graders at the Dugan School were required to participate. "I'm so surprised that out of all those people, Lara was picked. It's unbelievable. I'm so elated for her," Seidler said. "Lara is a very kind and caring person who is always sensitive to other people's needs. She always demonstrated that it is what's inside that counts. It's very wonderful that she won this contest." In her essay, Lara said King wanted everyone to be treated equally and she thanked him for making the world a better place. Lara left for Washington on Nov. 12 and returned on Nov. 14. During her stay, the youngster said, the foundation hosted a party for the 50 participants at the Marriott hotel. She said they were taken on a bus tour of Washington and saw the White House. Lara and her family did some additional sightseeing on their own before leaving for home. Her favorite place was Arlington National Cemetery because she was able to see the graves of very important people in the country's history. Lara was also impressed by the Capitol building and the Washington Monument. On Nov. 13 the students attended the groundbreaking of the King memorial. Lara's mother, Gail Berger, said there were several notable speakers who attended the event. The speakers included President George W. Bush, former President Bill Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, Maya Angelou, Diane Sawyer, and Naomi and Wynonna Judd. "It was pretty amazing. It was quite an experience. When do you ever get to see the president speak?" Berger said. Berger said she and her husband, Lloyd, are very proud of their daughter for winning the contest. She said Lara was part of something that is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, a part of history.