Boy without hands wins writing award

Born without hands and lower arms, fifth-grader Nicholas Maxim received a unique award for his participation in Zaner-Bloser's 20th annual National Handwriting Contest.

"We submitted his entry because we felt his penmanship was amazing considering he completes most of his work without using his prostheses," said Cheryl Hasenfus, Readfield Elementary School principal.

At those times, Nicholas writes by holding a pen or pencil between his upper arms.

On behalf of Zaner-Bloser, a publisher of educational materials, Hasenfus presented a trophy to Nicholas during a school assembly for his excellent penmanship. The school is in Readfield, Maine.

Inspired by his ability, Zaner-Bloser decided to create a new award category in his honor: Nicholas Maxim Special Award for Excellent Penmanship

"When our team saw Nicholas' handwriting, we were just amazed," said Zaner-Bloser President Bob Page.

"Since we started this contest 20 years ago, we've been pleased to get a great response that increases every year, and Nicholas inspired us to encourage all students to participate."

More than 200,000 students are waiting for the results of the competition.

Winners will be announced at the International Reading Association Annual Convention on May 10 in Orlando, Florida.

Zaner-Bloser estimates that more than 2.5 million students have participated in the contest during its history.