THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, December 3, 1994 TAG: 9412030035
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Medium: 59 lines
ONE WONDERFUL gift of Christmas is the joy we find in choosing presents for our loved ones.
All around, people's faces glow with delightful secrets. Murmured talk of presents rustles the air. Brightly colored boxes play hide and seek under beds and in the dark closets.
At Christmas, everyone has something to give. We seem to re-learn the eternal message of Jesus Christ: ``It is more blessed to give than to receive.''
In all your Christmases past, what was the best gift you ever received? We'd like you to send us a story about one never-to-be-forgotten gift for our holiday contest.
Did your favorite gift come from the packages under the Christmas tree? Or was it a gift that couldn't be tied up with a bow - perhaps a quiet and inspiring talk, a song that lingers in memory? Maybe your best gift came from a giver who didn't even know what he had given, a smile when you desperately needed it.
``Give what you have. To someone it may be better than you dare think,'' said American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. So tell us about your special gift and the person who gave it.
Contest entries should be typed (double-spaced) or neatly printed, a maximum length of 150 words. Enter in one of two categories: 1) Youth, for those 17 and younger 2) Adult, for those 18 and older.
The winning stories and other selected essays will be published on Christmas Day, with photographs of the winners. To inspire your creativity, we've got some prizes.
For each first place winner, a gift valued up to $100 will be given to the person or charity of your choice. For the first runner-up in each category, we'll give a gift valued up to $50.
Story entries must include the writer's name, address, day and evening telephone numbers and age category. We will need to reach the winners to award prizes and set up an appointment to take photos.
Writers 17 and younger should list their age and school. Classroom assignments will not be accepted in a group package. No more than one entry may be submitted by any teacher or individual.
Entries must be received at the newspaper by 5 p.m. Dec. 14. There are several ways to send us your entry. You may drop it off at the newspaper's office at 150 W. Brambleton Ave., Norfolk. You can mail it to The Spirit of Giving contest, Denis Finley, Features Editor, The Virginian-Pilot, 150 W. Brambleton Ave., Norfolk 23510.
You can fax your story to (804) 446-2963. Please include a cover sheet with the contest name and information for us to contact you.
Or, you use a computer and e-mail it to dfinley(AT)infi.net
Winners will be notified no later than Dec. 21. Employees and relatives of Landmark are not eligible. Unfortunately, we will not be able to return the entries, so please keep a copy for yourself.
KEYWORDS: CONTEST CHRISTMAS GIFTS by CNB