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Danville woman wins cool party
Essay brings ice cream to family and neighbors

by Geoff Gillette

The August evening was uncommonly chilly for Danville, but that didn't stop Eileen Linn's friends from joining her and her family in a celebratory gallon or five of Dreyer's Ice Cream. After all, without her neighbors Linn wouldn't have won the essay contest that brought an ice cream party to her house in the first place.

Linn entered an online essay contest through Dreyer's and was challenged to write a piece on why her neighborhood deserved an ice cream party more than any other.

"It was at the end of May," she recalled. "They had around 15,000-20,000 entries in so I wasn't sure how it was going to go."

Linn's essay described a welcoming neighborhood, where everyone pulls together and helps out.

"If you're looking for a neighborhood that embodies Norman Rockwell America in the 21st century, there's a special cul-de-sac in Danville, CA where everyone knows more than just your name," she wrote. "It's hard to describe just how close-knit this neighborhood is, how hard they work, how much they care and how much they value each other as neighbors. We're raising 25 children to be active and involved members of society. Wouldn't you like to meet us?"

Her words were enough to convince the judges at Dreyer's and she became one of 1,500 applicants nationwide to be selected to receive a free shipment of ice cream and party favors to celebrate with her friends.

"I was so happy to find out I won," she said. "This is an incredibly tight-knit neighborhood and I think it's really special."