Gratitude Writing Contest for Children and Young Adults Through Age 18

 What does gratitude mean to you?  Does it bring to mind any special people or events?  Is it something you feel often, or maybe something you struggle to feel?  Is gratitude a force that inspires you, motivates you or just makes you think a bit?

We at ThankingOfYou.com want to hear from you kids and young adults.  Gather your thoughts about gratitude and write them up into a poem of any style--it doesn't even have to rhyme.  Then, with permission from a parent or guardian, log in and post it as a Message of Thanks or e-mail it directly to us.  We will choose one winner in each of these age categories: 8 and younger; 9-12; 13-15; and 16-18.  All eligible entries will be posted along with the winning entries at ThankingOfYou.com at contest's end because we want to showcase your thoughts and creativity!

To enter: Register at ThankingOfYou.com under the supervision of a parent or guardian (for youth younger than 16), using a valid e-mail address and then log in.  

Begin to post your poem in your My Messages of Thanks section, choosing the category Other and using the code CTSTpoems10 in the Name Box. 

Use the Headline box for your poem's title.  (You don't need to fill in dates, city, state, and those other boxes.)

 Inside the large text box, type your name and age and then add your poem.  You may either post a written poem of any style, with a maximum of 350 words, or post a video of you reciting your poem from your YouTube account.  Please be respectful; profanity is not acceptable in this contest.  By submitting your entry you declare that it is your original work and that you own the rights to the work.

If you are unable to post your entry to a ThankingOfYou account, please e-mail it directly to us at thankingofyou@verizon.net   Do not send it as an attachment.  Instead, send written entry in the body of your e-mail or send link to YouTube video.  Include your name, age, phone number and e-mail address so that we may contact you directly with any questions.

Deadline:  11:59 p.m. Eastern Time August 30, 2010.  

Winners:  Winners will be notified by September 5, 2010 via the e-mail address with which they registered or contact information in their e-mailed entries.

 One winner in each of the four age categories will receive a $25 gift certificate to an American gift or retail store (to be announced).  Winners from outside the U.S.A. will receive a different gift of the same U.S. monetary value.  

Good luck!  We can hardly wait to read your poems!