ORLANDO, Fla., May 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Michelle Fauber's favorite family
activity is the time she spends gathering with her father, stepmother and
younger sister to watch home videos of her late mother. Fauber's moving
description of why this is special to her was chosen by judges as the grand
prize winner in the 12th-annual Olive Garden Pasta Tales national essay
writing contest.
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A 12th-grader at Cheltenham High School in Wyncote, Pa., Fauber's essay
was selected from more than 28,300 entries, the most ever received in the
history of the contest. Students in first through 12th grade were asked:
"What is your favorite family activity and what makes it so special?"
In her essay, Fauber recounts the cherished details of her mother brought
to life on video. "There she was: laughing, touching the arms of her friends,
making bad jokes that sounded frighteningly like my own. A woman with
strikingly pale skin and jet black hair; a person with a life, a laugh, a
voice that seemed strangely unfamiliar and yet exactly as I thought; my
mother," Fauber wrote. "I saw on that night that the ability to look back on
a painful yet indispensable past and to be smiling in the present in the
company of each other. ... "
Fauber's essay was "happy and sad, optimistic, inspiring and nostalgic.
There wasn't a wasted word, and in only a handful of sentences she brought
readers into a whole new world. ... Her moving, efficient, genuine tone had
no match in this contest," noted one of the judges from the Quill and Scroll
Society of the College of Journalism and Communications at the University of
Iowa who reviews the essays.
As the Pasta Tales grand prize winner, Fauber receives a $2,500 savings
bond, a trip with her family to New York City and dinner at the Olive Garden
in Times Square.
Olive Garden also announced a winner in each of 12 grade categories. In
another first for the contest, a sister and brother were selected as winners.
Fifth grader Kelsey Nelsen Fosstveit and her second grade brother Erik won in
their respective categories. The Fosstveit siblings join the other age group
winners in receiving a $500 savings bond and dinner with their family at their
local Olive Garden:
Grade 1: Aidan Baryk, New York, "Hiking to the Beach"
Grade 2: Erik Fosstveit, New York, "Happy Campers"
Grade 3: Sophie McFee, Florida, "Evening Bike Rides"
Grade 4: Michaela Kivett, Florida, "Snorkeling"
Grade 5: Kelsey Nelsen Fosstveit, New York, "Time with Grandma"
Grade 6: Alyssa DeHerrera, Colorado, "Family Fun in the Fall"
Grade 7: Alexandra Swets, Florida, "Family on Wheels"
Grade 8: Caitlin Bullock, Mississippi, "Out on the Boat"
Grade 9: Morgan Ayres, Illinois, "Raking Leaves"
Grade 10: Melissa McElhose, California, "Decorating the Christmas Tree"
Grade 11: Ann Schmeling, Illinois, "Dishes by Hand"
Grade 12: Melissa Becker, New York, "Work Hands"
"Michelle's beautifully written essay was heartfelt and shared an intimate
look into a very special moment for her family," said Mara Frazier,
spokesperson for Olive Garden. "Every year, we are impressed by the
creativity and talent of these young writers. Thanks to them for their
efforts, as well as to the parents and teachers who encourage them to express
their thoughts and emotions through writing."
Entries were judged on creativity, adherence to theme, organization,
grammar, punctuation and spelling by Olive Garden and the Quill and Scroll
Society at the University of Iowa. Full copies of the 2008 essays are
available upon request.
The question for the 2009 Pasta Tales essay contest will be announced in
August. Entry forms and complete rules will be available at local Olive
Garden restaurants and online at
www.olivegarden.com/company/community/pasta_tales.asp from Oct. 1 through Dec.
5.
Olive Garden is the leading restaurant in the Italian dining segment with
643 restaurants, more than 80,000 employees and $2.8 billion in annual sales.
Olive Garden is a division of Darden Restaurants Inc. (NYSE: DRI), the world's
largest full-service owned and operated restaurant company. For more
information, visit Olive Garden's Web site at www.olivegarden.com .
SOURCE Olive Garden
