opportunity to speak at the Thanksgiving Ecumenical Service at the Anglican Cathedral.

Thirteen-year-old Christie earned such an honour as the winner of the 1998 Tom Pettit Memorial Award.

The award, sponsored by the US Consul General and Inter Ocean Reinsurance Company Ltd., was established last year in memory of American journalist Tom Pettit -- an Emmy-winning NBC correspondent who lived briefly in Bermuda.

US Consul General Robert A. Farmer will present the award to Christie and four additional Commendation of Excellence awards of $500 each to Angelica Chaney, Lauren Purvey, Jevon Roberts, and Jessie Schneider at 10.30 a.m. on Thursday at the US Consulate on Middle Road in Devonshire.

Christie will read her award-winning entry, entitled "Why I am Thankful'', during the service later that day.

Judges for this year's contest were Patricia Pettit, wife of the late Tom Pettit, The Royal Gazette editor David L. White, and deputy principal officer of the US Consulate General, Bruce Berton.