- A child’s parent or legal guardian must be listed as the contest entrant.
- Parents must be at least 16 years of age to enter.
- Photos entered in the contest must be of preemies or babies who spent any time in the NICU for any reason. Children born premature are defined as those born less than 37 weeks gestation. Full term is considered 40 weeks.
- We encourage photo contest entrants worldwide. If you have an Internet connection, you can play.
- If you are entering a baby or child that has passed away, please enter your child in the age category that corresponds to the age your child was at the time of their passing.
- If the photo you submit has been taken by a professional photographer, please abide by the copyright rules and ask permission of your photographer in advance of posting your photo. If you give them credit in your application, they will probably be more than happy to grant permission. By uploading, we assume you have been granted appropriate permission or own rights to the photo being submitted. Photos need not be taken by a professional photographer. Shots taken on your personal camera are perfect.
- Hand to Hold is a 501c3 nonprofit organization. Donations are gratefully accepted but not required to participate in the photo contest. Applications are not weighted based on the amount of donations received. All gifts are tax-deductible to fullest extent of the law.
- Voting begins Monday, October 19, 2012 at 12:00 p.m./noon Central Time and closes at 12:00 p.m./noon Friday, November 2, 2012 Central Time. You may vote for one or all of the entries once per day. Once you vote, you may vote again in 24 hours from the time of your first vote. (For example, if you placed your vote at noon, the next time you could vote would be noon or after the following day. If you tried to vote at 8 a.m., it would tell you you’ve already voted.) For technical assistance, you may call WildfireApp which powers the contest toll-free at (888) 274-0929.
- There is no limit to the number of entrants who may enter the contest. The top 3 online vote-getters in five age categories (0-6 months, 7-12 months, 1+ to 3 years, 3+ to 5 years, 5+ years) will be chosen to move on for the final round of judging. Celebrity judges will choose the top winners for each age category based on the answers to the Super Hero questions. Originality and creativity especially as they relate to your child and the Super Hero theme are highly encouraged. Judges will determine winners based on creativity of super hero name, creativity of super hero-themed essay/story and emotional impact. In addition, a judge will determine a Grand Prize winner from the top winners of each category.
- The overall grand prize winner in 2012 will receive the Neotech “Making a Difference” Trip of a Lifetime to Disneyland, a family trip to Disneyland. The trip will include air fare, four-day stay at the Residence Inn, rental car and Disney Tickets park hopper. The winner will coordinate details and timing with Neotech.
- Top prize winners for the remaining four age categories (excludes Grand Prize winner) will win a prize worth at least $150 along with Preemie Power souvenirs. Second and third place finalists will also receive Preemie Power souvenirs.
- The Thundering Thurston Award for the entrant with the most online votes across all age categories will receive special recognition including a framed photo/essay entry and a Gloworm toy, Thurston’s favorite toy.
- New this year is a Staff Favorite award which will be judged by Hand to Hold Founder Kelli Kelley and staff which will be based on the award criteria, not on votes.
- Hand to Hold staff, board of directors, Preemie Power sponsors and contest judges may participate in the contest but will not be eligible for prizes.
- The photo and story you submit will be shared publicly online along with your child’s first name such as on our Preemie Power Blog and our Hand to Hold and Preemie Power Facebook pages.
- Success in the contest is bolstered by your encouraging others to cast votes online for your child. Voters may cast one vote per entry each day. You may vote for all the children each day if you want. It’s FREE to vote and personal information is not requested from voters. The Thundering Thurston Award will be presented to the single entrant who receives the most online votes across all age categories. Also, a Staff Favorite will be awarded and is not based on votes.
- Winners may have their photo, first and last name, and portions of the application data shared with media for possible publication.
- By entering this contest, you give consent to Hand to Hold to re-use your photos and story content for the purposes of sharing hope and inspiration to other families and to honor your child.
- This contest is held in good fun and to help raise awareness of premature birth/loss, to get the word out that support for parents is available and to inspire hope. Hand to Hold, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, provides comprehensive navigation resources and support programs to parents of preemies, babies born with special health care needs and those who have experienced a loss due to these or other complications. To learn more about Hand to Hold, see how we empower parents and families to request free support, visit www.handtohold.org or call us toll-free 1-855-H2H-NICU (1-855-424-6428). We encourage you to connect with us online on our many social media accounts.
- Please direct questions and concerns to Kelli Kelley, executive director, at kelli [at] handtohold [dot] org.
