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. Children born premature are defined as those born less than 37 weeks gestation. Full term is considered 40 weeks.
- We encourage photo contest entrants nationwide. If you have an Internet connection, you can play.
- 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. The following is a link to make a gift online: http://www.tinyurl.com/preemiepwr. All gifts are tax-deductible to fullest extent of the law. Contestants may also participate in a separate Preemie Power Team Fundraising Contest which allows participants to create their own personal fundraising page, share their child’s story, and which benefits Hand to Hold’s Preemie Parent Empowerment Project. The team who raises the most funds will receive a prize valued at $500 and the satisfaction of knowing they helped other parents who have had a child in the NICU or a loss. Visit www.preemiepower.org for more details.
- Voting begins October 17 at 12:01 a.m. (revised to begin at 8 a.m.) and closes at midnight November 1, 2011 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.)
- There is no limit to the number of entrants who may enter the contest. The top 3 vote-getters in three age categories (0-1 year, 1+ to 5 years, and 6 years and up) 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.
- 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.
- 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. 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.
- Winners may have their photo, first and last name, and portions of the application data shared with local media for possible publication.
- All participants and finalists are encouraged to attend Hand to Hold’s Preemie Power Family Celebration to be held in Austin, Texas and which serves as Central Texas’ second annual region-wide NICU reunion. The family-friendly event is free. Learn more at www.preemiepower.org. Attendance is not required to win.
- Top prize winners for each age category will also win a prize worth at least $500. Second and third place will receive a prize package of lesser value. The Thundering Thurston Award for the entrant with the most online votes will receive special recognition.
- 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.
- The Preemie Power Photo/Essay Contest is separate from the Preemie Power Team Fundraising Contest, though winners will be announced on the same day.
- This contest is held in good fun and to help raise awareness of premature birth/loss, get the word out that support is available and inspire hope. Hand to Hold, a 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. Watch the Hand to Hold video. To learn more about Hand to Hold, visit www.handtohold.org.
- Please direct questions and concerns to Kelli Kelley, executive director, at kelli [at] handtohold [dot] org.
