Young artist repeats as button contest winner

A patriotic image depicting soldiers saluting the Statue of Liberty will serve as the symbol of this year’s Bristol Fourth of July celebration.

Forest Rodriguez, a 14-year-old freshman at LaSalle Academy, designed the image that will appear on the Fourth of July buttons for the 2017 celebration. Forest, who lives with his family on Griswold Avenue, is the winner of the annual button contest for the second straight year.

The button shows the statue of liberty surrounded by exploding fireworks and 50 stars representing the states. Three soldiers in the foreground salute the statue, paying homage to our armed forces and patriotism in general. A recent trip to New York City inspired the design, Forest said.

“I saw the statue of liberty and thought about how it’s a part of us and bonds us with other nations,” Forest said. “And the soldiers keep us safe. They allow us to have parades and contests like these without being in danger.”

Forest, who grew up in Bristol and has never missed a parade, “at least as far as I remember,” drew the design using colored pencils. He said he’s looking forward to seeing his design all around town. “It’s always a big plus seeing people wearing the buttons and showing that they like it,” he said.

Forest is the overall winner for the second straight year, and is also the category winner for grades 9-12. Other category winners include Gianna Singh, a fourth grader at Colt Andrews School, in the K-5 category; and Zoe Fournier-Swire, an eighth grader at Kickemuit Middle School who has been an overall winner twice in the past, for grades 6-8. Category winners are awarded $50, and the overall winner receives an additional $75. All three are invited to march in the parade.

The buttons cost $1 each and are available for sale at several Fourth of July-related events, including the patiotic license plate distribution April 8, the Spring Breakfast April 30, and the Miss 4th of July pageant in May. They will be available in stores throughout town in June, and at the souvenir trailer at the Fourth of July concerts at Independence Park in June.