Aspiring young writers will have the opportunity to reflect on what they are thankful for by entering the annual Tom Pettit essay competition launched in Island schools today.

The eighth annual Tom Pettit Essay Competition asks participants to write a 500 word essay on "Why Am I Thankful".

Each autumn the competition is launched to coincide with the American Thanksgiving holiday. Since its inception in 1997 over $30,000 in grants have been awarded to skilled young writers. This year the first prize is a $1,000 grant with an additional $1,000 presented to the winner's school. The six finalists will receive "Commendation of Excellence" grants of $500 each.

Sponsors of the competition are Pembroke Atlantic Ltd., a Bermuda-based corporate event and marketing consultancy with prizes provided by the Inter-Ocean Reinsurance Company Ltd.

Tom Pettit was an Emmy Award winning NBC television correspondent for nearly 40 years who briefly lived in Bermuda. His wife, Patricia Pettit established the competition in 1997 in memory of her late husband. The deadline for entries is Monday, November 1.