Budding writers are being encouraged to express thanks in return for up to $4,000 in educational grants.

The 12th Annual Tom Pettit Thanksgiving Essay Contest is underway, offering one secondary school student a $1,000 grant and six runners-up prizes of $500.

With the theme 'Why I Am Thankful', the essay contest began in 1997 in memory of Tom Pettit, an Emmy-award winning NBC TV journalist who briefly lived in Bermuda.

Founded by his wife Patricia Pettit, of marketing consultancy Pembroke Atlantic Ltd., the annual competition for writing excellence has so far distributed more than $55,000 in prizes.

All secondary school students are eligible to enter and the finalists' schools receive matching grants.

This year's judging panel includes: Jennifer Hind, Royal Gazette Education Services Coordinator, Florenz Maxwell, and Attorney General Kim Wilson.

The competition is organised through local charity 'Pettit Grants', whose board includes: Robert Farmer, Mervin G. Holland, Muriel Richardson and Kim White.

Details are available at school head offices and the deadline for entries is: 4.30 p.m. on October 29, at the Rosedon Hotel, Pembroke.