The deadline for a high school student to win a $1,000 grant has arrived.

Students participating in the Tom Pettit Thanksgiving Essay competition are to submit their 500-word essay on `Why I Am Thankful for Freedom' today.

Mr. Pettit's wife and competition organiser Patricia Pettit told The Royal Gazette: "Normally, the topic is Why I'm Thankful, but this year I thought we can expand it to include Why I'm Thankful for Freedom. I think freedom is on everybody's mind right now. Sometimes we don't think about it enough."

In addition to the $1,000 grant first prize, the winner's school can win a $1,000 prize, part of the $5,000 worth of prizes to be awarded .

Six students will receive "Commendation of Excellence" awards of $500 each.

Premier Jennifer Smith will present the prizes at Camden on November 21.

Judges for the competition include The Royal Gazette editor William Zuill and Bermuda Sun deputy editor Bob Amesse.

The competition is co-sponsored by Bermuda-based Inter-Ocean Reinsurance Company Ltd and the marketing firm, Pembroke Atlantic Ltd.

Tom Pettit was an Emmy-award winning NBC television journalist for nearly forty years, and moved to Bermuda when he retired.

The competition was established by Mrs. Pettit in memory of her late husband.