12 Days of Cookies

OFFICIAL RULES

1.      NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR TO WIN.  A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR ODDS OF WINNING.  SUBJECT TO APPLICABLE FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL AND MUNICIPAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS.  VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.

 2.        Eligibility.  Subject to the additional restrictions below, the 12 Days of Cookies (the “Contest”) is open to residents of the state of Missouri who are 18 years or older at the time of entry.  Employees and contractors of Springfield News-Leader (“Sponsor”), Gannett Co., Inc., Hiland Dairy Foods, and each of their respective affiliated companies, and advertising and promotional agencies, and the immediate family members of, and any persons domiciled with, any such employees or contractors, are not eligible to participate in the Contest. 

 3.        How To Enter.  The Contest will begin at 12:01 a.m. (C.D.T.) on 10/20/2013 and end at 10:59 p.m. (C.S.T.) on 11/3/2013 (the “Contest Period”).

 To enter, visit www.news-leader.com/cookies and click on the submission link, completing all required information and following all posted instructions.  All recipes must be the sole, original work of the entrant.  Previously published recipes or those that have won previous awards or competitions may be disqualified. 

Only one (1) entry per person and multiple entries by means of software generated or other automated processes will be disregarded.

Sponsor will not be responsible for incomplete, lost, late, or misdirected entries. All entries become property of Sponsor and none will be returned.  Contestants acknowledge and agree that Sponsor shall have the right to edit, adapt, modify, reproduce, publish, promote, create a sound recording of, broadcast, or otherwise display or use entries in any way it sees fit without limitation or compensation to entrants.  Sponsor further reserves the right to disqualify any entry that is alleged to infringe on any third-party’s intellectual property rights, or that Sponsor deems obscene, offensive or otherwise inappropriate for viewing by a general audience.

4.         Voting Procedures and Rules. Voting for your favorite recipe begins at 12:01 a.m. (C.S.T.) on Thursday, November 28, 2013 and ends at 11:59 p.m. (C.S.T.) Sunday, December 8, 2013.  Voting is open to the general public.  Online voting is limited to persons 13 years and older.

To vote online go to www.news-leader.com/cookies. Your computer must accept cookies, or any successor or similar technology, which may be used for the purpose of entry tracking. Ad blocking software on your computer needs to be disabled so that it doesn’t interfere with processing your entry. 

The News-Leader will not be responsible for incomplete, lost, late, misdirected or illegible submissions (either entries or ballots) or for failure to receive entries due to transmission failures or technical failures of any kind, including, without limitation, malfunctioning of any network, hardware or software, whether originating with sender or the News-Leader.  In the event of a dispute, all online entries or votes will be deemed to have been submitted by the owner of the ISP account from which they were sent.  For these purposes, an ISP account holder shall mean the natural person assigned to such ISP account by the Internet access provider, online service provider or other organization responsible for assigning ISP addresses for the domain associated with such ISP account.  All submissions become property of the News-Leader and none will be returned.  Any questions regarding the number of entries or votes submitted or the owner of an ISP account shall be determined by the News-Leader in its sole discretion, and the News-Leader reserves the right to disqualify any entries or votes by persons determined to be tampering with or abusing any aspect of the contest.   

 5.        Winner Selection.  Twelve (12) finalists will be determined by total votes only. The 12 recipes with the most votes will be finalists. In the event of a tie, the News-Leader will randomly pick the winner(s) from the tied entries. Winners will be selected on or about December 9, 2013.

 6.      Prizes and Odds.   Grand Prize: Twelve (12) finalists will each receive: twelve (12) coupons for Hiland Dairy Cottage Cheese, twelve (12) coupons for Hiland Dairy Sour Cream or Dip, twelve (12) coupons for Hiland Dairy Ice Cream, twelve (12) coupons for Hiland Dairy Yogurt, and twelve (12) coupons for Hiland Dairy Orange Juice.  All coupons are subject to rules and restrictions as specified on each coupon and only on product sizes and flavors indicated.  Coupons may be redeemed at participating retailers in Missouri, Kansas, Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma. (ARV: $200) Twelve (12) finalists will also have his/her recipe featured in the News-Leader during the 12 Days of Cookies, December 11 – 22, 2013.  Placement of recipes will be determined by the News-Leader.

             Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries and votes received.   

 7.       Winner Notification and Acceptance.  Winners will be notified on or about December 9, 2013 at the email address provided on winner’s entry form.  Return of email prize notification as undeliverable or failure of winner to respond to notification may result in disqualification and an alternate winner may be selected.  To claim prize, each winner must personally visit Sponsor’s offices at 651 Boonville, Springfield, MO within five (5) business days after notification (office visits must be between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. weekdays and must present a valid photo identification.  Winners may waive their right to receive prizes.  Prizes are nonassignable and nontransferable.  No substitutions allowed by winner.  Prizes are not redeemable for cash.  Prizes and individual components of prize packages are subject to availability and Sponsor reserves the right to substitute prizes of equal or greater value.  Winners are solely responsible for reporting and payment of any taxes on prizes.  Winners may be required to complete an affidavit of eligibility/liability certifying that the entrant’s submission is entrant's original work, that entrant owns right to the work, that the submission has not previously won an award or prize in a contest and has not previously been published, and that entrant has complied with the Official Rules of the Contest, and a liability and publicity release (except where prohibited by law) which must be returned as directed by Sponsor.  Failure to sign and return the affidavit or release, or to comply with any term or condition of these Official Rules, may result in a winner’s disqualification, the forfeiture of his or her interest in the prize, and the award of the prize to a substitute winner.  Except where prohibited, acceptance of any prize constitutes winner’s consent to the publication of his or her name, biographical information and likeness in any media for any commercial or promotional purpose, without limitation the Internet, or further compensation.  Prizes not won and claimed by eligible winners in accordance with these Official Rules will not be awarded and will remain the property of Sponsor. 

 8.        Participation.  By participating, contestants agree to be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of Sponsor.  Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify persons found tampering with or otherwise abusing any aspect of this Contest as solely determined by Sponsor.  In the event the Contest is compromised by a virus, non-authorized human intervention, tampering or other causes beyond the reasonable control of Sponsor which corrupts or impairs the administration, security, fairness or proper operation of the Contest, Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to suspend, modify or terminate the Contest.  Should the Contest be terminated prior to the stated expiration date, Sponsor reserves the right to select winners based on the entries received before the termination date.  Sponsors will not be responsible for incomplete, lost, late, misdirected or illegible entries (or ballots), or for failure to receive entries or votes or other electronic communications due to transmission failures or technical failures of any kind, including, without limitation, malfunctioning of any network, hardware or software, whether originating with sender or Sponsor.  Any questions regarding the number of entries, or votes submitted or the owner of an ISP account shall be determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion, and Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any entries or votes by persons determined to be tampering with or abusing any aspect of the Contest. By participating in this Contest, each participant agrees to fully release, forever discharge and hold harmless Sponsor from and against all claims, costs, liabilities, losses, injuries and damages arising out of the promotion, including but not limited to, any claims for personal injury, death, or damage to or loss of property or any other harm arising out of participant’s participation in the promotion, the receipt, use or misuse of any prize, or any travel or activity that is related to the promotion or any prize. 

 9.         Copyright.  By entering the Contest, each contestant grants to Sponsor an exclusive, royalty-free and irrevocable right and license to publish, print, edit or otherwise use the contestant’s submitted entry, in whole or in part, for any purpose and in any manner or media (including, without limitation, the Internet) throughout the world in perpetuity, and to license others to do so, all without limitation or further compensation.  Each contestant further agrees that if his/her entry is selected by Sponsor as the winning entry, he/she will sign any additional license or release that Sponsors may require, and will not publicly perform or display his or her submission without the express permission of Sponsors.

 10.      Construction. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of these rules shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision.  In the event that any such provision is determined to be invalid or otherwise unenforceable, these rules shall be construed in accordance with their terms as if the invalid or unenforceable provision was not contained therein.

 11.      Sponsor.  The 12 Days of Cookies is sponsored by the Springfield News-Leader.  The decisions of Sponsor and the Contest judges regarding the selection of winners and all other aspects of the Contest shall be final and binding in all respects.  Sponsor will not be responsible for typographical, printing or other inadvertent errors in these Official Rules or in other materials relating to the Contest.  For a list of winners (available after December 15, 2013) or a copy of these Official Rules, visit www.news-leader.com/cookies or send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to “Winners List/Official Rules” (as applicable), 12 Days of Cookies, 651 Boonville, Springfield, MO  65806..  If you have any questions regarding this Contest, please contact dklewis@gannett.com.