ACE challenge rewards excellence and effortWith the new school year now underway, Westchester County Executive Robert P. Astorino has issued a challenge to all Westchester County students in grades 6-12 – win a free season pass to Playland by earning great success in the classroom. The first Astorino Challenge in Education (ACE) offers a free season pass to the Playland amusement park in Rye to students who achieve one of the two following benchmarks in the 2012-2013 school year:

  • Final G.P.A of at least 3.8, 95% or A average, or better (depending on your school's grading system) OR
  • Perfect attendance for the entire school year.

Astorino touted the undeniable importance of a good education and wanted to encourage Westchester's students to do their best and let them know that their friends, family and neighbors are behind them 100 percent.

"The ACE challenge is just a little incentive for our kids to let them know we're thinking about them as the school year begins and encouraging them to do their very best in the classroom," said Astorino.  "My message to students is that you can be whatever you want to be in life, but your success starts with a well-rounded education.  That is why every day in school, it's important to work hard and learn everything you can."

Astorino said the ACE challenge rewards both excellence and effort.

"We set the bar high to win this challenge," said Astorino.  "We want the students to strive to do their very best."

Interested students who accept the challenge can go to www.westchestergov.com/ace and sign up. Name, address and school are required. To win the challenge, students will need to provide validation of their achievement from their school. Children under the age of 18 must have permission from their parents to participate.

The free season pass to Playland is good from the date of issue in June 2013 until the end of the season in September 2013 and includes free admission to the park and unlimited rides.

The free season passes are made available through the Westchester County Youth Bureau.