The 2012 Notes & Words Essay Contest

1. Sponsor:
The Sponsor of this Contest is Children’s Hospital & Research Center Oakland Foundation (“Children’s”), 2201 Broadway, Suite 600, Oakland, CA 94612.

2. How to enter:
This contest begins at 12:01 A.M. pacific time (PT) on January 1, 2012, and ends at 11:50 P.M. PT on March 21, 2012. To enter online, send your typed, double-spaced submission (800 words maximum, preferably in a MS Word attachment) to essaycontest@mail.cho.org. To enter via postal mail, submit your essay by mailing your entry to Notes & Words Essay Contest, Children’s Hospital & Research Center Oakland Foundation, 2201 Broadway, Suite 600, Oakland, CA 94612. Entries must be postmarked no later than March 21, 2012, and received no later than March 24, 2012. Limit one entry per person or e-mail account. Essays should be submitted in English at a maximum of 800 words and typed and double-spaced on 8½-by-11-inch paper. Essays exceeding this length or handwritten may not be considered. Children’s is not responsible for lost, late, illegible, or incomplete entries; postage-due mail; or entries not received for any reason.

3. Entries:
Entries become sole property of Children’s. No entries will be acknowledged or returned. By entering, Entrant warrants that his or her entry (1) is original and does not infringe the intellectual-property rights of any third party, (2) has not been published in any medium, and (3) has not won an award. By submitting the essay into the contest, the Entrant consents and gives authorization to Children’s to publish the essay in any form (written or electronically) and for Children’s to utilize the essay for publicity purposes.

4. Selection:
Selection of semi-finalists: All entries will be judged by a Notes & Words panel, including New York Times best-selling author Kelly Corrigan (The Middle Place and Lift). Judging will be based on criteria such as originality, creativity, use of language, and appropriateness to contest theme. Incomplete and/or inaccurate entries and entries not complying with all rules are subject to disqualification. Decisions of judges are final and binding. Semi-finalists will be notified by telephone and/or e-mail after March 28, 2012.

5. Online voting for semi-finalists:
Up to TWENTY semi-finalist essays will be shared online through the Notes & Words facebook page (www.facebook.com/notesandwords). The general public will be able to vote for their favorite essay on this site from March 28, 2012 until April 13, 2012.

6. Selection of finalists:
A panel of up to FIVE finalists will be selected by a combination of on-line votes and the judges’ assessment. The finalist essays will be videotaped being read by a professional reader. These videos will be posted to the Notes & Words facebook page (www.facebook.com/notesandwords) on April 16, 2012.

7. Online voting for finalists:
The finalist essays will be promoted online through outlets such as, but not limited to, Facebook (www.facebook.com/notesandwords), Notes & Words (www.notesandwords.org), Children’s Hospital & Research Center Oakland (www.childrenshospitaloakland.org and www.CHOfoundation.org), Book Passage (www.bookpassage.com), and YouTube (www.youtube.com). The general public will be able to vote for their favorite essay online from April 16, 2012 until April 27, 2012. All finalists will receive 2 tickets to Notes & Words 2012 to be held on April 28, 2012 at The Fox Theatre in Oakland, CA. Transportation to the event is the responsibility of the finalist. Names of finalists will also be published on the Notes & Words website (www.notesandwords.org).

8. Selection of winner:
The winner of the contest will be determined by a combination of online voting and panelists’ assessment. The winner will be announced on April 28, 2012 at the Notes & Words after-party at The Fox Theater in Oakland, CA. Contestant does not have to be present to win. The winner will also be published on the Notes & Words website (www.notesandwords.org).

9. Prize description:
The author of the winning essay will receive a personal phone consultation with each of the following: 1) a Random House/Ballentine editor, 2) the Executive Editor at O Magazine, and 3) an agent from ICM. All calls subject to the ability to find a mutually agreeable time with the winner. The prizes are awarded without warranty, express or implied, of any kind. THE PRIZES ARE NOT TRANSFERABLE.

10. Eligibility:
Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, age 19 or older at time of entry (“Entrant(s)”). Void where prohibited by law. Employees of Children’s and its promotional partners and their respective parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries and participating advertising and promotion agencies (including members of their immediate family and/or those living in the same household of each such employee) are not eligible.

11. Conditions of participation:
No transfer, assignment, or substitution of a prize permitted, except Children’s reserves the right to substitute prize (or prize component) for an item of equal or greater value at Children’s sole discretion. Nothing in these official contest rules shall obligate Children’s to publish or otherwise use any entry submitted in connection with this Contest. All federal, state, and local laws and regulations apply. Entrants agree to be bound by the terms of these Official Rules and by the decisions of Children’s, which are final and binding on all matters pertaining to this Contest. By entering, Entrant represents that any essay, etc., and other materials submitted as part of Entrant’s contest entry are original and will not constitute defamation or an invasion of privacy or otherwise infringe upon the rights of any third party, and that the Entrant owns or has the rights to convey any and all right and title in such essay. In addition, by entering, Entrant grants to Children’s a nonexclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to edit, publish, promote, and republish at any time in the future and otherwise use Entrant’s submitted essay, along with Entrant’s name, likeness, biographical information, and any other information provided by Entrant, in any and all media for possible editorial, promotional, or advertising purposes, without further permission, notice, or compensation (except where prohibited by law). Potential Winner, as a condition of receiving any prize, also may be required to sign and return an Affidavit of Eligibility, a Liability Release, and, where legally permissible, a Publicity Release and confirmation of a license as set forth above within 7 days following the date of first attempted notification, certifying, among other things, the following: (a) entry does not defame or invade the privacy of any party; (b) entry does not infringe upon the rights of any third party; and (c) the essay and other materials submitted are original and have never been published and entry has never won an award. Failure to comply with this deadline may result in forfeiture of the prize and selection of an alternate winner. Return of any prize/prize notification as undeliverable may result in disqualification and selection of an alternate winner. Acceptance of the prize constitutes permission for Children’s and its agencies to use Winner’s name and/or likeness, biographical information, essay, and other materials submitted for advertising and promotional purposes without additional compensation, unless prohibited by law. By entering and/or accepting prize, Entrants and Winners agree to hold and assign Children’s and its promotional partners, directors, officers, and employees harmless for liability, damages, or claims for injury or loss to any person or property, relating to, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, participation in this Contest, the acceptance and/or subsequent use or misuse or condition of any of the prizes awarded, or claims based on publicity rights, defamation, or invasion of privacy. False or deceptive entries or acts will render the Entrant ineligible. Children’s, in its sole discretion, reserves the immediate and unrestricted right to disqualify any entrant or prize winner, if either commits or has committed any act or has been involved or becomes involved in any situation or occurrence which the Children’s deems likely to subject the Children’s, Entrant, or Winner to ridicule, scandal, or contempt or which reflects unfavorably upon the Children’s in any way. If such information is discovered by Children’s after a winner has received notice of his/her prize and before the prize is awarded, Children’s may rescind the prize in its entirety. If a portion of his/her prize has already been awarded, Children’s may withdraw the remainder of the prize that has been fulfilled. Decisions of Children’s are final and binding in all matters related to this paragraph. Children’s is not responsible for any typographical or other error in the printing of the offer, administration of the contest, or in the announcement of the prize.

12. Internet:
Children’s is not responsible for lost or late entries nor for electronic-transmission errors resulting in omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operations or transmission, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to or alterations of entry materials, or for technical, network, telephone-equipment, electronic, computer, hardware, or software malfunctions or limitations of any kind, or inaccurate transmissions of or failure to receive entry information by Children’s or presenter on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any website or any combination thereof. If for any reason the Internet portion of the program is not capable of running as planned, including infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes that corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of this Contest, Children’s reserves the right at its sole discretion to disqualify any individual who tampers with the entry process and to cancel, terminate, modify, or suspend the Contest. Children’s reserves the right to select winners from eligible entries received as of the termination date. Caution: Any attempt by a contestant to deliberately damage any website or undermine the legitimate operation of the game is a violation of criminal and civil laws and should such an attempt be made, Children’s reserves the right to seek damages from any such contestant to the fullest extent of the law. If there is a dispute as to the identity of the Entrant, the prize will be awarded to the authorized account holder of the e-mail address. The “authorized account holder” is defined as the natural person to whom the e-mail address is assigned.

13. Governing law:
This Contest is governed by the internal laws of the State of California without regard to principles of conflict of laws. All cases and claims pertaining to this Contest must be brought in a court of competent jurisdiction in Alameda County, without recourse to class-action suits.

14. Severability:
If any provision of these Rules is found to be invalid or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction or appointed arbitrator, such determination shall in no way affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision herein.

15. Winner’s list:
For the name of the winner, log on to www.notesandwords.org after April 29, 2012 where the name of the winner will be available for a period of 60 days.