Here's the ad with the contest information. It ran in the Lorain Journal back on April 29, 1954.
The Merchant's Association was pretty savvy. Apparently it posted essays in the windows of member merchants, and if you found your child's entry, then you received a $5 gift certificate for that store. It was a great way to make you check out every store window.
(Nowadays I guess kids would utilize AI for their essays!)
Of course, I couldn't resist posting this page since it had an ad for Dragnet (a favorite of mine) with a great photo of Jack Webb. As the ad notes, the NBC program was now on Channel 3. So why the move, and from where? As the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History notes, "WKYC (Channel 3) for most of its existence was one of 5 network-owned television stations of the National Broadcasting Co. It first went on the air 31 Oct. 1948, as WNBK over Channel 4.
"A move to Channel 3 was mandated in 1954, when its erection of the most powerful antenna in the Midwest caused interference with other local channels."
I'm assuming there was an equivalent Father's Day "Why My Pop is Tops" contest.
Elsewhere on the page, we also get the local bowling league scores, as well as a neat ad for Heinz Strained Meats baby food. Delicious flavors to make baby goo-goo with anticipation included beef, liver, beef heart, liver & bacon, and lamb.
What, no beef brains or tongue?