What goes well with ice cream? Neighbors. Dreyer's has stuffed the freezers of five Bakersfield families, winners of a writing contest meant to promote neighborliness. The idea was for the winners to invite folks to an ice cream block party so that they could bond over butter pecan and schmooze over sundaes.

And Dreyer's must have been pretty impressed with Bakersfield's winners, because more than 28,000 ice cream lovers entered the contest nationwide.

The essays were good enough to win 10 gallons and dozens of single-serving ice cream for the winners, but they also offer a snapshot of what being a good neighbor in these modern times means.

Bakersfield's ice cream lovers and excerpts from their essays:

Michael Robinson

I have lived in my neighborhood for 12 years and have some neighbors that are still here and some have moved, but through it all this is still a neighborhood that helps each other and barbecues together. Our children play together and our elders are watched over. The kindness that is freely given is astounding. We are working Americans and still find time for a helping hand. This is what teaches our younger generation how to live and treat others and that it is okay to slow down and just enjoy your neighbor. That is why I believe my neighbors deserve an ice cream party.

Rachel Giarratano

We are new to our neighborhood (8 months) and have not had much contact with our neighbors. They appear to be very busy, coming and going, and do not socialize much among each other either. It makes me sad that we are not more closely connected to the people who live 10 feet away on either side. Coming from an apartment complex, this has been a big change for us and our two school-aged children. An ice-cream block party would be a wonderful way to reintroduce ourselves to the neighbors and bring some cohesiveness to our tiny little community.

Fred Linder

We love ice cream! What a great way to share AND have a good time! Thank you, Dreyer's, for offering all the fixin's for block parties. It would be wonderful if our northwest Bakersfield neighborhood would win one. The people on our block are friendly and always wave or greet one another. But everyone is busy, and we don't stop to visit very often. Still, we're always up for a get-together, and ice cream is a favorite! I'm sure most all of the neighbors would come over for a treat. There isn't a better way to cool off on a hot summer evening, and, in this town, we have way too many hot summer evenings.

Heather Ijames

I live in Bakersfield, California. Need I say more? It's hot, it's dusty, our air quality is dangerous, and it's miserable with a capital M in the summer! What better way to get my neighborhood over the hump of summer than with an ice cream party? The air around here is so bad, the news warns parents to keep our children inside for the day. I think my neighborhood should win because it will be a real blessing to the children around to get out of their summer prisons for a little party and eat bowl after bowl of ice cream. That way, in the fall, when their teachers asked them what they did for summer, other than say, "I had to sit inside all summer because of the bad air," they can say, "Dreyer's gave us an ice cream party!"

Sara Gildez

I have lived at the same address for almost 13 years and I know barely anyone in my neighborhood. Other than (knowing a few neighbors), I know very little about who lives in the ivy-covered house on the corner, or the house with the crazy Rottweiler and Labradors. I want to know these people, as well as the family down the street who just moved in, or the little girls around the corner who walk by our house selling candy bars for a fundraiser. I'd love to gather up all the kids in the neighborhood and have a pool party (except I don't have a pool -- so I guess it would be a sprinkler party). I would love to have an ice-cream party to meet these people because if I haven't met these people, then maybe they haven't met each other, and they definitely haven't met me!