Madeleine receives her award, joined by (from left) her parents, Alex and Lisa, and club members and contest administrators JoAnne Ellis and Julie Mills. (Bill Giduz photo)

The North Mecklenburg Rotary Club awarded Cornelius Elementary School fifth grader Madeleine Franco first prize in its essay contest last week. She wrote on the topic, “What Community Service Means to Me.”

Second and third place prizes went to her fellow fifth graders, Clover Kottyan and Morgan Little.