Contest Kicks Off for Kids With the Write Stuff

ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Get ready, get set, write! Olive Garden has announced the question for its 12th-annual Pasta Tales writing contest open to students in first through 12th grade: "What is your favorite family activity and what makes it so special?" The answer could be worth a trip to New York and a $2,500 savings bond.

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"In today's fast-paced society, time spent with family is precious," said Steve Coe, spokesperson for Olive Garden. "This year's essay question allows young writers to reflect upon their family's activities and describe the qualities that make them memorable."

From Oct. 1 through Nov. 30, Olive Garden will accept essays of 50 to 250 words from students in the U.S. and Canada. Entry forms and complete rules will be available beginning Oct. 1 at local Olive Garden restaurants or by logging on to http://www.olivegarden.com/company/community/pasta_tales.asp.

The grand prize is a trip to New York, dinner at the Olive Garden in Times Square and a $2,500 savings bond. A winner also will be chosen in each grade category and will receive a $500 savings bond and dinner with their family at their local Olive Garden.

Entries must include the writer's name, complete address, phone number with area code, grade, date of birth including year, and a statement that the work is their own. Entries must be submitted either online or postmarked by Nov. 30 and sent to Pasta Tales, PMB 2000, 6278 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale, FL, 33308-1916.

Submissions are judged based on creativity, adherence to theme, organization, grammar, punctuation and spelling by the Quill and Scroll Society of the College of Journalism and Communications at the University of Iowa with finalists selected by Olive Garden.

For more information about Pasta Tales, call Katie Lennon at (954) 776- 1999, ext. 240 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST.

Olive Garden is the leading restaurant in the Italian dining segment with 621 restaurants, more than 77,000 employees and $2.8 billion in annual sales. Olive Garden is a division of Darden Restaurants Inc. , the world's largest casual dining company in sales and market share. For more information, visit Olive Garden's Web site at http://www.olivegarden.com/.