Trump Awards $125k Scholarships

The 2026 Patriot Games, a sporting event created by the Trump administration to celebrate the 250th anniversary of America's founding, took place in Geneva, Ohio, from August 9 to 11, 2026. The event saw 120 high school students from the US, its territories, and some tribal nations compete for a $125,000 college scholarship.

The competitors, aged 14 to 17, were selected after submitting five-minute video applications and personal essays, and were required to answer questions about American patriotism to qualify for the event. The winners, one boy and one girl, each received a $125,000 scholarship, with Kennadi Fuhrman of Kansas and Rockwell Myers of Utah taking the top honors.

President Donald Trump attended the final day of the event and presented the winners with their awards. The event was hosted by the White House-backed non-profit group Freedom 250 at the SPIRE Academy in Geneva, Ohio. Pat McAfee, an ESPN personality, attended the event as a guest of President Trump, and praised the sportsmanship on display, saying he had a "BLAST celebrating high schoolers from across the country".

The Patriot Games aimed to promote youth sportsmanship and featured a series of physical contests over three days. The event was seen as a way to showcase American patriotism and promote strict biological sex categories in athletics. President Trump praised the athletes, saying they were doing "fantastically well", and expressed his pride in the group of people at the event, saying they showed "the spirit and the love of the country".

What's Next The success of the inaugural Patriot Games has raised hopes for future events, with Pat McAfee and Senator Bernie Moreno expressing their support for the initiative. The event is expected to become an annual occurrence, with plans to continue promoting youth sportsmanship and American patriotism.