NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
1. Eligibility. Open to legal U.S. residents who are eighteen (18) years of age or older at the time of entry and who are currently registered/enrolled in an accredited K-12 school or American college or university. Entrants must have a primary residence in the State of Arizona or California. Employees and their immediate family members (parent, siblings, children and spouse, and person residing in the same household whether related or not) of Verizon Wireless or Yasmin Davidds Enterprises ("Sponsors") and their parent and affiliated companies, subsidiaries, and advertising and promotion agencies, and all other companies associated with the Contest, and their respective agents, officers, and directors, and all individuals, including, but not limited to, consultants, independent contractors, so-called "temporary employees," former employees and interns (and their immediate family members) who have, within the past six months, performed services for Sponsors, are not eligible to enter or win.
2. Contest Period. The contest ("Contest") begins on September 17, 2008 at 12:00 a.m. PST and ends on September 28, 2008 at 11:59 p.m. PST (the "Contest Period").
3. Entry and Essay Judging Criteria. To enter the Contest, entrants must go to www.mobilizingvoices.com and complete and submit the online entry form during the Contest Period. Your submission must include a written 500 word essay (the "Essay") in English or Spanish, describing how you have exemplified extraordinary courage in breaking free from domestic violence. By submitting an entry, you agree to have your essay published as part of the Mobilizing Voices campaign on their website, in print or any other media. You also agree that Sponsors can promote or publicize your essay in any manner, without limitation, and without compensation. All submitted entries, including essays, become the sole property of Sponsors and will not be returned. Receipt of entries will not be acknowledged. Incomplete entries are void. Sponsors reserve the right to edit, reject or remove any submitted material from consideration based on content, taste, or any other similar factors in its sole discretion. Entries must be original, unpublished work. Limit one (1) entry per person.
Entrants will be judged based on their Essay by a panel of judges that include Sponsors’ employees and/or duly authorized representatives. Essays will be judged based 100% on the compelling nature, which could include but is not limited to, entrants who exemplify their ability to overcome adversity, who have influence and appeal, and who exemplify strength, courage and resolve. Entrants represent and warrant that all facts and circumstances described in the Essay are truthful; falsification of any information and/or plagiarism is a basis for immediate disqualification. Sponsors may, in their discretion, require that entrant provide substantiation for any factual statements included in the Essay.
Four (4) Finalists ("Finalists") will be selected by Sponsors based on the evaluations of the Essays by the panel of judges. THE DETERMINATION OF THE FINALISTS SHALL BE MADE BY SPONSORS IN ITS SOLE DISCRETION, AND SUCH DETERMINATION SHALL BE FINAL AND BINDING. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH THE ABOVE CRITERIA FOR JUDGING THE ESSAY AND SELECTING THE FINALISTS, DO NOT ENTER THIS CONTEST.
Finalists will receive a phone call and/or email from Sponsors in English and Spanish regarding his or her selection as a Finalist. The notification will contain terms and conditions ("Terms and Conditions") for the Finalist's participation in the Mobilizing Voices campaign and provide an opportunity for the Finalist to respond to the email by a specified date and accept or reject them. If Finalist timely responds and rejects the Terms and Conditions, or fails to timely respond to the email, he or she will be automatically disqualified from the Contest and will not be awarded any element of the prize. Should this occur, Sponsors will have the option, but not be required, to select an alternate Finalist to replace the disqualified Finalist, and such replacement Finalist will likewise be required to agree to the Terms and Conditions as a condition of participating in the Mobilizing Voices campaign. If Finalists are not available to participate on the dates described in the Prize section below as part of the Mobilizing Voices campaign or any other element of the Mobilizing Voices campaign such as media day, studio recording dates, or any other element of the Mobilizing Voices campaign, they will be disqualified and an alternate Finalist will be selected.
4. Prizes. Four (4) Finalists will be invited, and will be required to attend, to share their story of overcoming adversity at an awards ceremony at the University of Southern California on October 20, 2008. Finalists will also receive a plaque, congressional proclamation and a $5,000 donation awarded to a domestic violence shelter to be determined by Sponsors in their honor. Finalists will also be interviewed by Yasmin Davidds and their interviews will be videotaped and become part of the Mobilizing Voices campaign. Finalists will also accompany Yasmin Davidds as a panelist for select college events, which includes but is not limited to: USC on October 20, 2008 from 6pm to 9pm, San Jose State University on October 21, 2008 from 6pm to 9pm and Arizona State University on October 22, 2008 from 6pm to 9pm. Dates and locations are subject to change without notice. Prize includes travel and accommodations. Approximate retail value of each prize ("ARV"): $900.00. If Finalist is unable to attend any of these events or any other element of the Mobilizing Voices campaign as outlined in the terms and conditions, they will be disqualified.
Sponsors reserve the right to substitute without liability a different college event, or venue, in the event of selected event or venue's unavailability, or for any other reason.
ALL FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL TAXES AND FEES, INCLUDING INCOME TAX, SALES TAX AND LICENSE FEES, AND ANY OTHER EXPENSES ARISING OUT OF THE RECEIPT AND USE OF THE PRIZES, ARE SOLELY THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE WINNER OR LEGAL GUARDIAN. ANY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE STATED ESTIMATED VALUE OF A PRIZE AND ITS ACTUAL VALUE WILL NOT BE AWARDED. WINNER AGREES TO ACCEPT PRIZE "AS IS."
5. Restrictions. Prize is nonrefundable and nontransferable. Sponsors are not required to offer any substitutions, cash redemptions, or alternative to prizes awarded under this Contest. Sponsors reserve the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value in the event a prize is unavailable. Recipient of prize must have a U.S. mailing address. All prizes awarded are subject to the restrictions and limitations noted in these Official Rules. Odds of winning depend upon number of eligible entries received during the Contest Period.
6. General Entry. Any individual who attempts or otherwise encourages, directly or indirectly, false contact information under multiple identities, by cellular phone, Internet, or otherwise, or uses any device or artifice to enter or encourage, directly or indirectly, multiple or false votes or entries, as determined by Sponsors, will be disqualified. The use of automated devices or any other conduct that impedes the integrity of the Contest is prohibited. Mutilated, lost, illegible, corrupted, or incomplete entries will be deemed ineligible and disqualified. In the event of a dispute, entry information will be declared made by the authorized account holder of the email address submitted at the time of entry. "Authorized account holder" is defined as the natural person who is assigned to a an email address by a wireless service provider, Internet access provider, Internet service provider or other organization (e.g. business, educational, institution, etc.) that is responsible for assigning email addresses, telephone numbers or wireless phone numbers for the telephone exchange associated with the submitted telephone number/email address or the domain associated with the submitted telephone, as applicable.
Sponsors, together with any Co-Sponsor, and their respective parents, subsidiaries and affiliates, advertising and promotion agencies, suppliers (including all prize providers), printers, and distributors, and the respective officers, directors, employees, representatives and agents of each and any other person or entity related in any way to this Contest (collectively "Contest Entities"), are not responsible for late, lost, incomplete, illegible, misdirected, or damaged entries or for technical, hardware, software or telephone malfunctions of any kind, lost or unavailable network connections, or failed, incorrect, incomplete, inaccurate, garbled or delayed electronic communications caused by the sender, or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in this Contest which may limit the ability to play or participate, or by any human error that may occur in the processing of the entries in this Contest, or for any printing errors in these Official Rules. If for any reason (including infection by computer virus, bugs, worms, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other cause beyond the reasonable control of Contest Entities that corrupts or affects the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of this Contest) the Contest is not capable of being conducted as described in these Official Rules, Sponsors shall have the right, at its sole discretion, to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend this Contest, and select the prize winner(s) from entries received prior to the action taken, or as otherwise deemed fair and appropriate by Sponsors. Sponsors reserve the right to prosecute any fraudulent entries to the fullest extent of the law. At Sponsors’ sole discretion, entrants, winners and guests who do not comply with these Official Rules or attempt to interfere with this Contest in any way may be disqualified.
7. Release and Indemnification. By entering, entrants and winner(s) agree to be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of Sponsors, together with any Co-Sponsor, which shall be final for all purposes hereunder, and agree: (1) Contest Entities may use (unless prohibited by law) their names, likenesses, images, photographs, essays, voices, cities/states of residence, and biographical information for advertising, trade and promotion in any media or format now or hereafter known, including on the Internet or via wireless application protocol, without further compensation, permission or notification, except where prohibited by law; and (2) to release, hold harmless and indemnify Contest Entities from and against any and all liability, damages or causes of action (however named or described) with respect to or arising out of either (i) entrants' participation in the Contest or in any Contest-related activity; or (ii) the receipt, possession, or use or misuse of the prizes awarded in the promotion, including but not limited to, any claims for damage to property, personal injury or death, or claims based on defamation, rights of privacy, rights of publicity or merchandise delivery. Winner will be required to complete, sign and return an Affidavit of Eligibility and Publicity/Liability Release or prize may be forfeited and awarded to an alternate, and winner's parent or legal guardian will be required to execute an affidavit acknowledging, confirming and consenting to the liability release and advertising consent as set forth above.
8. Miscellaneous Conditions. Except to the extent preempted by federal or other applicable state law, the Contest shall be governed by the laws of the State of New Jersey, without giving effect to any conflict of law provisions thereof. By participating in the Contest, entrants agree that any and all disputes which cannot be resolved between entrant and Sponsors, and causes of action arising out of or connected with this promotion, shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, exclusively before a court located in the County of Somerset, State of New Jersey, having competent jurisdiction, which court shall apply the laws of the State of New Jersey without giving effect to any conflict of law provisions thereof. Any personal information supplied by any entrant to Contest Entities will be subject to Verizon Wireless' privacy policies posted at http://www.verizonwireless.com.
9. Winners' List and Official Rules. You may request the names of winners and official rules by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope by October 30, 2008 to: Mobilizing Voices, Verizon Wireless, 15505 Sand Canyon Ave., MA E201, Irvine, CA 92618.
10. Spanish Language Translation. These rules have been written in English. A Spanish translation is also available. For any and all purposes, the English language governs this promotion.
11. Sponsors. Verizon Wireless, 15505 Sand Canyon Ave., MA E201, Irvine, CA 92618. Yasmin Davidds Enterprises, P.O. Box 60865, Pasadena, CA 91116.
