Samsung “Hope for Education 2008” Contest OFFICIAL RULES
No purchase necessary to enter or win. Void where prohibited.
1. How it Works: The Samsung “Hope for Education 2008” Contest (the “Contest”) begins 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time (“ET”) April 22, 2008 and ends 11:59 p.m. ET August 31, 2008 (“Contest Period”). Samsung is offering in total prizes in this Contest more than $2M in Samsung, Microsoft and DIRECTV products (see prize details below for more information). Nominate an eligible school in your community for its opportunity to win.
2. Eligibility: Contest is open only to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia. MINORS: IF YOU ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 18, YOU MUST OBTAIN YOUR PARENT’S OR LEGAL GUARDIAN’S CONSENT BEFORE PARTICIPATING. MINORS UNDER THE AGE OF 13 WILL BE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE ONLY THEIR PARENT’S OR LEGAL GUARDIAN’S E-MAIL ADDRESS TO ENTER. Participants should nominate a public or state-accredited private school in their community (the “Nominators”). Home Schools, Colleges, Universities and Vocational/Trade Schools are not eligible for nomination. Employees of Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (“Sponsor”), Microsoft Corporation, DIRECTV, Inc., Trymark Consulting Group, L.L.C., and their respective parents, affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising and promotion agencies, retailers, distributors and suppliers, and the immediate families (spouse, parents, children and siblings and their respective spouses, regardless of where they reside) and individuals living in the same households of any of the foregoing individuals, whether or not related, are ineligible to participate or win a prize. Winning schools that have received a prize in the Samsung “Hope for Education 2007” Contest are not eligible to receive a prize. Void where prohibited by law. Subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations.
3. How to enter: During the Contest Period, log on to www.hopeforeducation.com and follow the directions provided to complete the Official Entry Form and provide an original, sincere, no more than one hundred (100) word essay answering the following question: “How has technology educated you on helping the environment and how or why has it changed your behavior to be more environmentally friendly?" Essays should focus on:
All entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. ET on 8/31/08 to be considered. Essays will be accepted in English or Spanish only. Entries generated by script, macro or other automated means are void. Limit one (1) entry per person and per e-mail address. If multiple entries are received from any person or e-mail address, only the first such entry will be eligible for entry. All entries become the property of the Sponsor and will not be returned. Except as otherwise provided herein, Sponsor will not enter into any correspondence with an entrant regarding an entry. Entry must be Nominator’s own original work, be true and verifiable, may not contain profanities or obscenities nor depict Sponsor, Microsoft or DIRECTV unfavorably. Entries must be consistent with the images of Sponsor, Microsoft and DIRECTV and must not defame or invade publicity rights or privacy of any person, living or deceased, or otherwise infringe upon any person’s personal or property rights or any other third party rights. Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any entry it determines does not comply with these requirements or these Official Rules, in its sole discretion.
4. Judging: All eligible entries received will be judged by qualified judges from media, educational and/or other organizations selected by Sponsor as described below. There will be three (3) tiers of judging and each tier will have a separate panel of qualified judges:
First Tier: All eligible entries received will be judged equally on the following criteria:
In the event of a tie, an additional, “tie-breaking” judge will determine the entry/entries which will proceed to the Second Tier based on the above stated criteria for the First Tier.
Second Tier: The top three hundred (300) entries will then be judged as follows:
In the event of a tie, an additional, “tie-breaking” judge will determine the entry/entries which will proceed to the Third Tier based on the above stated criteria for the Second Tier.
Third Tier: The top one hundred fifty (150) entries will then be judged as follows:
All entries must be in the form of an essay. Entries submitted in other forms such as poems or songs will be disqualified. In the event of a tie, an additional, “tie-breaking” judge will determine the winning entry based on the stated criteria for the Third Tier. Decisions of judges are final and binding. Sponsor reserves the right to not award all prizes if, in its sole discretion, it determines it has not received a sufficient number of qualified eligible entries.
By entering, each Nominator (and, if an eligible minor, his/her parent or legal guardian) warrants and represents that entry is his/her own original work, has not been previously published, that Nominator owns or otherwise controls all of the rights to entry materials and that entry does not violate any law, regulation or any right of any third-party. By entering, each Nominator (and, if an eligible minor, his/her parent or legal guardian) unconditionally assigns and transfers to Sponsor all rights, title, interest and claim, which it now has or may in the future have to the entries or any element(s) therein. Sponsor and its designees shall have the right to edit, publish, use, adapt, exploit, modify or dispose of any entry, online, in print, film, television, or in any other media now or hereafter known throughout the world for a period of two (2) years from the conclusion of the Contest, without compensation, notification or approval of Nominators (and, if minors, their parents or legal guardians) or any third party.
5. Prize Details: Grand Prize package (1): Winning school will receive $100,000.00 awarded in the form of Samsung merchandise, $100,000.00 awarded in the form of Microsoft software, $5,000.00 (awarded in the form of a check), one (1) Classroom Assistant Dog (significant restrictions and qualifications apply as specified by the National Education for Assistance Dog Services (“NEADS”)) and the DIRECTV GOES TO SCHOOL® package. Total Estimated Retail Value (“ERV”) of the Grand Prize package is $205,000.00. First Prize package (30): Each winning school will receive $30,000.00 awarded in the form of Samsung merchandise, $30,000.00 awarded in the form of Microsoft software, $1,000.00 (awarded in the form of a check) and the DIRECTV GOES TO SCHOOL® package. Total ERV of each First Prize package is $61,000.00. All Samsung merchandise will be selected from a list prepared by Samsung of select currently available merchandise. All Microsoft software will be selected from a list of predefined packages provided by Microsoft. Actual values based on approximate retail value of selected merchandise. The DIRECTV GOES TO SCHOOL® package is available free of charge to all K-12 schools across the Untied States, and includes the following: DIRECTV System Equipment (excluding installation) (including up to four (4) standard receivers, or up to three (3) standard receivers and one (1) DIRECTV Plus DVR) and SCHOOL CHOICE® programming as long as the winning school continues to qualify under the DIRECTV GOES TO SCHOOL® program and as long as DIRECTV has the DIRECTV GOES TO SCHOOL® or similar program. The principal or other individual or governing body of winning school will make all merchandise and package selections for winning schools without exceeding the stated prize package value. Any difference between value of merchandise and package selected and stated prize package value will not be awarded. Nominator Prize (31): Each Nominator whose entry is determined to be a Grand or First Prize winning entry will receive one (1) Samsung Ultra Mobile PC (model NP-Q1U) (ERV $1,299.00 each). All other prizes will be awarded to the winning schools and not the winning Nominators. Total maximum ERV of all prizes combined is approximately $2,075,269.00. Valuations of Samsung merchandise and Microsoft software are based on the estimated retail value at the commencement of the Contest. Ownership of the Grand Prize Classroom Assistant Dog will be granted to the Special Education Teacher or Therapist employed by the winning school. The teacher or therapist will be responsible for all expenses associated with the continuous care and training of the dog, including, but not limited to shelter, food and medical costs. The teacher or therapist will be required to complete an application and sign a NEADS agreement. If eligibility is not met, the Classroom Assistant Dog will not be awarded and no substitution will be provided for that portion of the prize and Sponsor may, at its discretion, provide the Classroom Assistant Dog to a worthy individual or institution identified by Sponsor. The teacher or therapist will also be required to attend a training session with the dog for approximately 7 days at the NEADS facilities located in Princeton, MA at expense of Sponsor. Air transportation, ground transportation, accommodations, fees associated with training sessions and meals will be included in trip as specified by Sponsor. Travel dates are to be determined by Sponsor and NEADS. Winning schools and winning Nominators will be responsible for all taxes, if any (including federal, state and local taxes) and other costs and expenses associated with the acceptance and use of a prize (or any portion thereof) not included with prizes as awarded, including, but not limited to, installation and costs of any service, including any telephone or cable service. All prizes are provided “as is” with no warranty or guarantee of any kind, either express or implied. Prizes are not transferable, redeemable for cash, or substitutable except Sponsor retains the right at its discretion to substitute a prize, or portion of prize, with one of comparable or greater value. Limit one (1) prize per school and per Nominator.
6. Notification: Winning schools will be notified by telephone, mail and/or e-mail and will have three (3) days to respond to such notification. An authorized officer of each winning school will be required to execute and return an Affidavit of Eligibility/Liability, a Prize Selection form and, unless prohibited, a Publicity Release form within five (5) business days of date of issuance. Fully-executed documents should be returned via certified mail to: Trymark Consulting Group, “Hope for Education 2008”, P.O. Box 295, Gainesville, VA 20156. Acceptance of prize constitutes permission for Sponsor and its designees to use school’s name, image, trademarks and/or logos, and/or biographical material for purposes of advertising, promotional and other purposes in any and all media now or hereafter known throughout the world for a period of two (2) years from the conclusion of the Contest, without further compensation, notification or permission unless prohibited by law. Winning Nominators will be notified by telephone, mail and/or e-mail and will have three (3) days to respond to such notification. Each winning Nominator will be required to execute and return an Affidavit of Eligibility/Liability, and, unless prohibited, a Publicity Release form within five (5) business days of date of issuance. If any winning Nominator is an eligible minor, prize will be awarded in the name of the parent or legal guardian who will be required to fulfill all requirements imposed on winning Nominators as set forth herein. In the event of noncompliance with these Official Rules, the return of any notification as undeliverable, the failure to respond to notification within the specified time period or if required documents are not executed and returned within the specified time period, prize of nominated school and/or applicable Nominator may be forfeited and at Sponsor’s discretion, a runner-up Nominator (and/or nominated school) may be notified. In the event either a Nominator or nominated school fails to satisfy all requirements set forth in these rules, Sponsor is under no obligation to award the corresponding prize to the other party (for example: if a nominated school fails to satisfy any such requirements, Sponsor will not be required to award a prize to the Nominator of that school, or vice versa).
7. General Rules: Contest is governed by the laws of the United States, state of New Jersey without regard its conflict of laws principles with venue in Bergen County, and all claims must be resolved in the courts of Bergen County, New Jersey. By participating, Nominators (and, if eligible minors, the parents or legal guardians) agree as follows: a) to abide by these Official Rules, and to the decisions of Sponsor and the judges, which shall be final and binding in all respects; b) to the use of their names and/or likenesses and/or biographical data by Sponsor and its designees for advertising, promotional and other purposes in any and all media now or hereafter known throughout the world for a period of two (2) years from the conclusion of the Contest at discretion of Sponsor without compensation, permission or notification (except where prohibited by law); and c) that Sponsor, Microsoft Corporation, DIRECTV, Inc., Trymark Consulting Group, L.L.C., and their respective parents, affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising and promotion agencies, retailers, distributors and suppliers, and each of their respective officers, directors, shareholders, agents, and employees (collectively, the “Released Parties”) shall have no liability and shall indemnify and hold harmless the Released Parties from and against any damage, loss or injury resulting, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from participation in this Contest, violation of these Official Rules, the use or misuse of any prize or Released Parties’ use of any rights granted herein. By accepting a prize, each winning school agrees to release and hold harmless Released Parties from and against any damage, loss or injury resulting from the use or misuse of any prize or Released Parties’ use of any rights granted herein. Released Parties are not responsible for lost, interrupted or unavailable network, server or other connections, miscommunications, failed phone, computer or telephone transmissions or technical failure, jumbled, scrambled or misdirected transmissions, scoring errors or other problems or errors related to participation in the Contest or other errors or problems of any kind whether typographical, printing, human, mechanical, computer, electronic or otherwise relating to or in connection with the Contest, including, without limitation, errors or problems which may occur in connection with the administration of the Contest, the processing or judging of entries, the announcement of the prizes or in any Contest-related materials or for any damage to Nominator’s or other person’s hardware or software as a result of participation. Released Parties are not responsible for entries that are late, lost, stolen, incomplete, inaccurate, undelivered, misdirected, garbled or delayed by computer transmissions. Persons found tampering with or abusing any aspect of this Contest or who are in violation of these Official Rules as solely determined by the judges will be disqualified and all associated entries will be void. Every submission must be manually keystroked and manually entered by the individual participant and repetitive automated electronic submission of entries is specifically disallowed. In the event the Contest is compromised by virus, bugs, non-authorized human intervention or other causes which corrupt or impair the administration, security, fairness or proper play of the Contest, Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to suspend or terminate the Contest or any portion thereof and/or terminate the participation of any participant (and void his/her entry) whose conduct potentially compromises the Contest and, if terminated, at Sponsor’s discretion, judge all eligible, non-suspect entries received up to time of such action using the judging procedure outlined above.
8. Winners’ List: For names of the winning schools (available after December 1, 2008), go to www.hopeforeducation.com.
9. Sponsor: Samsung Electronics America, Inc., 105 Challenger Rd., Ridgefield Park, NJ 07660.
10. Promoter: Trymark Consulting Group, L.L.C., P.O. Box 295, Gainesville, VA 20156.