Got ideas to end hunger?

If you're a student in the first through 12 grades and you live in the U.S. or Canada (but not Quebec), you can win a $2,500 savings bond and a three-day trip to New York from the Olive Garden.

All you have to do is write a winning essay of 50 to 250 words on how to end hunger in your community. Olive Garden also will give a $5,000 grant to support your initiative in your town.

The contest is the 17th annual Pasta Tales essay contest by Darden Restaurants, the owner of Olive Garden. Essays are judged 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. Winners are picked by Olive Garden.

Entries must be postmarked by March 22 and sent to Pasta Tales, PMB 2000, 6278 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308-1916. Get the full rules and entry form at www.olivegarden.com.