Cricket Wireless Launches Cricket Community Stars: Salute to Solopreneurs Contest for Small Business Owners who Give Back to their Community

ALPHARETTA, Ga., Oct. 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Cricket Wireless announces the launch of its Cricket Community Stars: Salute to Solopreneurs contest to recognize men and women who serve as one-person enterprises and still make it a priority to help their community.

"Small businesses and entrepreneurs are the heartbeat of most communities," said Winston Warrior, Director of Marketing and Customer Acquisition, Cricket Wireless. "As a community brand, we're always looking for ways to support these business owners – including our dealers and sole proprietors, thus, positively impact our customers where they live and work."    

Entry forms are being accepted online now through Oct. 19, 2014, via the Events page of cricketwireless.mediaroom.com/cricketstars. Entrants must provide details on their sole proprietorship business, community involvement and social media presence. All entries will be reviewed and evaluated by Cricket, then narrowed down to three finalists who will be named 1^st-, 2^nd- or 3^rd-place winners by a panel of judges, and receive prizes as follows:

• 1^st Place: $5,000, Free Mobile Device with 1 year of Cricket service
• 2^nd Place: $2,500, Free Mobile Device with six months of Cricket service
• 3^rd Place: $1,000, Free Mobile Device with three months of Cricket service

Finalists will be announced late-November and must participate in a Cricket-sponsored video recording which will be housed on Cricket's YouTube channel for finalists' social media engagement via their respective social media channels. Finalists will be recognized during in-store celebrations on Small Business Saturday which takes place on November 29, 2014. A panel of judges will review the finalists' videos and rate the finalists based on their community involvement/improvement, clarity and creativity in sharing their business story, social media engagement, and expressed passion to be named the grand prize winner. The panel will determine the 1^st-, 2^nd- and 3^rd-place winners who will be announced mid-December. To learn more about Cricket Community Stars: Salute to Solopreneurs or to enter, please visit cricketwireless.mediaroom.com/cricketstars and join the conversation via social media using #CricketNation. The contest is open to residents of Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Washington D.C.

In addition to Cricket Community Stars: Salute to Solopreneurs, Cricket offers affordable pricing, group and loyalty plans on a reliable, nationwide 4G LTE network. For instance, the monthly savings in the Group Save plan are perfect for solopreneurs in need of separate lines for business and personal use.

About Cricket Wireless

Cricket is bringing consumers more value with a simple, friendly, and reliable nationwide wireless experience with no annual contract.  The power of Cricket is our fast, reliable, nationwide 4G LTE network; easy and affordable unlimited plans with taxes and fees included; annual loyalty rewards; and a great selection of phones customers love. Cricket, Something to Smile About.  Cricket is a subsidiary of AT&T Inc. 

Official Contest Rules:

Cricket Community Stars: Salute to Solopreneurs (the "Contest") - Official Rules

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE DOES NOT IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.

• Entrant must own and operate a registered sole proprietorship business in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia or Washington D.C. ("Solopreneur")
• Business must have an active digital/social media presence
• Solopreneur must play an active role in his/her community in the city/metropolitan area where the sole proprietorship business is registered or principally located (e.g. through civic engagement and volunteer work)
• Entrants are encouraged to upload documentation in support of their community contributions i.e. sizzle reel, case study, press clippings etc. in Word or PDF format
• Solopreneurs must be at least 21 years of age
• Incomplete Entry Forms may be disqualified from the Contest, in Sponsor's sole and absolute discretion
• Finalists must be available in their respective market to shoot the finalist video in mid-November 2014
• Finalists are encouraged to engage with the public via Finalists' social media channels (as listed on their respective Entry Form), as social media engagement will be among the items considered by the panel of judges

How to Enter.  

During the Entry Period, visit www.cricketwireless.mediaroom.com (the "Contest Website") to access the Entry Form.  The Contest Website will contain a description of the Contest and the Entry Form.  Each Solopreneur must submit an Entry Form, which may include, among other things, his/her full name, the name of his/her business, employer/federal tax identification number, business address, business purpose, information about his/her community involvement, information about how, if selected, as a winner, the Solopreneur would use the prize, business social media page ("Social Media Page") information, contact information and related supporting documentation.  Each Solopreneur must submit a completed Entry Form to Sponsor during the Entry Period, in order to be considered as a Contest entrant. Limit: One (1) entry per person during the Contest.  The Entry Form and all accompanying material are collectively referred to herein as the "Entry". For purposes of this Contest, an Entry must follow the technical, creative, and legal requirements disclosed on the Contest Website and elsewhere in these Official Rules, including, without limitation, the House Rules (defined below).  An Entry may, in Sponsor's sole and absolute discretion, be rejected if it fails to follow the technical, creative, and legal requirements disclosed on the Contest Website and in these Official Rules.  

By entering, each Solopreneur warrants and represents that his/her Entry complies with the following content standards and "house rules" ("House Rules"):

a) It shall comply with these Official Rules and meet all specifications or requirements called for on the Contest Website and other advertising for the Contest;

b) It shall not contain any material which is obscene, offensive, hateful or inflammatory (or is of a sexually explicit nature);

c) It shall not infringe any intellectual property right of any other person or entity, including without limitation, copyright, right of publicity or trademark rights (such as a photo of a copyright work, such as a painting or another photograph, taken without the owner's permission) and entrant must have permission from any individuals that appear in his or her Entries (e.g. family members, friends or others);

d) It shall be original and created solely by entrant and suitable for presentation in a public form;

e) It shall not encourage discrimination based on race, sex, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation or age, or be likely to harass, upset, embarrass, alarm or annoy any other person;

f) It shall not show or encourage any illegal or immoral activity violence, racial hatred, cruelty to animals or any other anti-social or unlawful behavior of any kind; and

g) It shall not reveal any personal information about another individual, including another person's address, phone number, email address, credit card number or any information that may be used to track, contact or impersonate that individual.

If any part of the Entry breaches the House Rules or any applicable law, Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify Solopreneur from the Contest, in its sole and absolute discretion.

By submitting an Entry, Solopreneurs warrant and undertake that they are over the age of 21 and are the legal and beneficial owner of all intellectual property rights in and to their Entry and that it is their own original work and does not infringe any third party rights. Solopreneurs hereby waive and agree not to assert any moral rights in and in connection with their Entry.

All people pictured in any photos submitted as part of an Entry must be over the age of 18 and agree that the photo may be uploaded by Sponsor to any websites owned or operated by Sponsor and/or on Sponsor's webpages on third-party sites, including without limitation Sponsor's Social Media Pages (collectively, the "Cricket Websites"), and/or used by Sponsor in any media, and must also waive and agree not to assert any applicable moral or similar rights and agree to the photo being entered in the Contest.

Sponsor will select three (3) finalists ("Finalists") from all eligible entries based on Solopreneur's community involvement, Solopreneur's social media presence; Solopreneur's ability to provide supporting documentation; and Solopreneur's answer to Sponsor's question about how he/she plans to use the prize, if selected as a winner.  Finalists must be available mid-November to participate in a video shoot ("Video Shoot"), during which a two-minute video summarizing and supplementing Finalist's entry (the "Video") shall be produced by Sponsor.  The Video Shoot shall take place in the city/state of Finalist's principal place of business, as indicated on the Entry Form, and will be fully paid for by Sponsor.  Each Finalist Video will be made available for public viewing on Sponsor's YouTube channel and, in Sponsor's sole discretion, any other Cricket Website, on or about 8 am CST on November 24, 2014 through 11:59 pm CST on December 7, 2014 (the "Video Viewing Period").  Each Finalist is encouraged to generate social media engagement in his/her community by promoting the Video and by encouraging his/her community to "Like" and "Share" the Video during the Video Viewing Period.  Finalists will be recognized during in-store celebrations at Cricket Wireless retail locations on November 29, also known as Small Business Saturday.

All Entries become the sole property of Sponsor. By submitting an Entry, each Solopreneur agrees that Sponsor has the nonexclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, licensable, transferable and unrestricted right to use the Entry in whole or in part, commercially or noncommercial, in any media, in perpetuity, worldwide, including the right to publish and display the Entry for advertising and publicity, or for any other purpose, and to edit and make derivative works, all without additional notification, review, approval or compensation to anyone, including Solopreneur. Additionally, Solopreneur agrees that Sponsor may post the Entry (including your name and/or business name), or any portion thereof, on any Cricket Websites, and/or use it in any media.

Use of any automated system to participate in the Contest is prohibited and will result in disqualification.  Each potential winner may be required to show proof of being the authorized account holder of any website and/or social media page submitted by Solopreneur to Sponsor in connection with the Contest.

All Entries become the sole and exclusive property of the Sponsor and receipt of Entries will not be acknowledged or returned. Sponsor is not responsible for lost, late, illegible, stolen, incomplete, invalid, unintelligible, misdirected, technically corrupted or garbled entries, which will be disqualified, or for problems of any kind whether mechanical, human or electronic.  Proof of submission will not be deemed to be proof of receipt by Sponsor. By entering the Contest, Solopreneurs fully and unconditionally agree to be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of the Judges (as defined below), which will be final and binding in all matters relating to the Contest.

1. Start/End Dates.  Contest begins at 12:00:00 pm CDT on October 3, 2014 and all Entry Forms must be received by Sponsor on or before 11:59:59 pm CDT on October 19, 2014 ("Entry Period").

2. Eligibility. This Contest is open only to legal United States residents, who are 21 years of age or older as of date of entry, and own and operate a sole-proprietorship located in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia or Washington, D.C.  For the purposes of the Contest, in addition to owner/operators of sole proprietorships, a "sole proprietorship" may include a single member limited liability company and other corporate forms in which the entity is controlled by a single individual person with fewer than three (3) employees, but excludes all other entities and such entities are not eligible to enter.  Void outside of the seven participating markets - Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia or Washington, D.C. - and where prohibited, taxed or restricted by law. Solopreneur must play an active role in his/her community in the city/metropolitan area where the sole proprietorship business is principally located (e.g. through civic engagement and volunteer work). Incomplete Entry Forms may be disqualified from the Contest, in Sponsor's sole and absolute discretion. Businesses must have an active social media/digital presence, and Finalists will be encouraged to conduct social media engagement via their respective social media channels (as listed on their Entry Form). Businesses whose offerings are in direct competition with those of Sponsor, as determined by Sponsor in its sole and absolute discretion, are not be eligible to enter. Employees, officers and directors of Cricket Communications ("Sponsor"), Flowers Communications Group ("Administrator") and their respective parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, partners, advertising and promotion agencies, manufacturers, dealers, sponsors, and distributors of promotion materials and their immediate families (parents, children, siblings, spouse) or members of the same household (whether related or not) of such employees, officers and directors are not eligible to enter (collectively, the "Contest Entities").  All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply.

3. Determining the Winners.  After the conclusion of the Video Viewing Period, each Entry and Video (collectively, the "Submission") will be reviewed by a team of judges (the "Judges"), assembled by Sponsor, who will review and judge them based on the following judging criteria (collectively, the "Judging Criteria"):

• 25% Finalist's demonstrated commitment to improving his/her community through his/her business;
• 25% Finalist's clarity and creativity in sharing his/her business story
• 25% Finalist's social media engagement efforts related to his/her Video; and
• 25% Finalist's plan to use the prize, if selected as a winner.

Based on the total score the Judges assign to each Submission/Video using the Judging Criteria, one grand prize winning Submission and second and third place winning Submissions will ultimately be selected by the Judges and each Solopreneur who submitted a selected Submission will be a potential "Winner," subject to confirmation that the potential Winner has met the eligibility requirements and complied with these Official Rules.  If there is a tie after the Judges apply the Judging Criteria, Sponsor will break the tie based on the Submission that had the highest score in the social media engagement category.  Winners will be announced on or about mid-December 2014.  

4. Prizes. One (1) Grand Prize Winner will receive Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000) and a free mobile device with one (1) year of free service provided by Cricket Wireless.  Approximate retail value ("ARV"): $1,000. One (1) 2^nd place Winner will receive Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($2,500) and a free mobile device with six (6) months of free pre-paid service, provided by Cricket Wireless.  ARV of 2^nd place prize: $600. One (1) 3^rd place Winner will receive One Thousand Dollars ($1,000) and a free mobile device with three months of free pre-paid service, provided by Cricket Wireless. ARV of 3^rd place prize: $450.  Total ARV of all prizes: $2,050. Each mobile device and pre-paid plan awarded to Winners will be selected by Sponsor in its sole and absolute discretion. 

Prizes are non-transferable, with no cash redemptions, equivalents or substitutions except at Sponsor's sole and absolute discretion.  In the case of unavailability of any prize, Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value.  All federal, state and/or local taxes, and any other fees, costs and expenses not specifically listed herein are the responsibility of winners. All prizes are awarded "AS IS" and without warranty of any kind, express or implied (including, without limitation, any implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose).  The ARV of the prize is based on available information provided to Sponsor and the value of any prize awarded to a Winner may be reported for tax purposes as required by law.  The Winners may be required to provide Sponsor with a valid social security number or tax identification number before the prize will be awarded for tax reporting purposes.  An IRS Form 1099 may be issued in the name of Winners and/or Winner's business for the actual value of the prizes received.  Unclaimed prizes will be forfeited. 

5. Notification. Finalists will be contacted via email and phone by Sponsor on or about November 3, 2014. Potential Winners will be contacted via email and phone by Sponsor on or about December 15, 2014. Finalists and potential Winners will be required to respond to Sponsor's notification attempt within five (5) days.  If a Finalist and/or potential Winner does not respond to the notification attempt within the required time frame, the Finalist's and/or potential Winner's status will be forfeited and, at Sponsor's sole discretion, a runner-up selected. Potential winner must continue to comply with all terms and conditions of these Official Rules.  Potential Winner will be required to sign and return, where legal, an Affidavit of Eligibility, Liability/Publicity Release and/or rights transfer document within five (5) calendar days of prize notification.  If a potential Winner is found to be ineligible, cannot be contacted, or fails to respond to the notification attempt within the required time period, if any prize or prize notification is returned as undeliverable, if any potential Winner rejects his/her prize or in the event of noncompliance with these Official Rules and requirements, such prize will be forfeited and may be awarded to another eligible entrant. Upon prize forfeiture, no compensation will be given.  Sponsor is not responsible for and shall not be liable for late, lost, damaged, intercepted, misdirected, or unsuccessful efforts to notify the potential Winners.

6. Conditions. BY PARTICIPATING, ENTRANTS AND WINNERS AGREE TO RELEASE AND HOLD HARMLESS THE CONTEST ENTITIES FROM ANY AND ALL LIABILITY, FOR LOSS, HARM, DAMAGE, INJURY, COST OR EXPENSE WHATSOEVER INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, PROPERTY DAMAGE, PERSONAL INJURY AND/OR DEATH WHICH MAY OCCUR IN CONNECTION WITH, PREPARATION FOR, TRAVEL TO, OR PARTICIPATION IN CONTEST, OR POSSESSION, ACCEPTANCE AND/OR USE OR MISUSE OF PRIZE OR PARTICIPATION IN ANY CONTEST-RELATED ACTIVITY AND FOR ANY CLAIMS BASED ON PUBLICITY RIGHTS, DEFAMATION, INVASION OF PRIVACY, COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT, TRADEMARK INFRINGEMENT OR ANY OTHER INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY-RELATED CAUSE OF ACTION.  Any and all federal, state and local taxes are the sole responsibility of the Winners. Participation in Contest and acceptance of prize constitutes each winner's permission for Sponsor to use his/her name and business name, business logo, trademark, slogan and any other business identifier, address (city and state), likeness, photograph, picture, portrait, voice, biographical information and business information, and/or any statements made by each Winner regarding the Contest or Sponsor for advertising and promotional purposes without notice or additional compensation, except where prohibited by law. Entrants who do not comply with these Official Rules, or attempt to interfere with this Contest in any way shall be disqualified.  Sponsor is not responsible if Contest cannot take place or if any prize cannot be awarded due to travel cancellations, delays or interruptions due to acts of God, acts of war, natural disasters, weather or acts of terrorism.  All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules or the rights and obligations of entrants, Sponsor, or Administrator in connection with the Contest will be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of Georgia, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules or provisions that would cause the application of any other state's laws.  Entrants further agree that in any cause of action, the Contest Entities' liability will be limited to the cost of entering and participating in the Contest, and in no event shall the Contest Entities be liable for attorney's fees.  EXCEPT WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW, ENTRANT AGREES THAT: (I)  ANY DISPUTE, CONTROVERSY OR CLAIM ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE CONTEST, OR ANY PRIZE AWARDED, SHALL BE RESOLVED INDIVIDUALLY -- WITHOUT RESORT TO ANY FORM OF CLASS ACTION -- BY BINDING ARBITRATION (BY A SINGLE NEUTRAL ARBITRATOR SELECTED BY SPONSOR IN ITS SOLE AND ABSOLUTE DISCRETION) ADMINISTERED BY THE AMERICAN ARBITRATION ASSOCIATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE COMMERCIAL ARBITRATION RULES AND THE SUPPLEMENTARY PROCEDURES FOR CONSUMER RELATED DISPUTES (THE "AAA RULES") THEN IN EFFECT; (III) ANY ARBITRATION SHALL BE HEARD BY ONE ARBITRATOR TO BE SELECTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AAA RULES, IN DALLAS, TX; (IV) UNLESS BOTH ENTRANT AND AT&T AGREE IN WRITING, THE ARBITRATOR MAY NOT CONSOLIDATE MORE THAN ONE PERSON'S CLAIMS, AND MAY NOT OTHERWISE PRESIDE OVER ANY FORM OF CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDING; (V) JUDGMENT UPON ANY AWARD RENDERED MAY BE ENTERED IN ANY COURT HAVING JURISDICTION THEREOF; (VI) ANY AND ALL CLAIMS, JUDGMENTS AND AWARDS SHALL BE SUBJECT TO ALL LIMITATIONS AND RELEASES SET FORTH IN THESE OFFICIAL RULES AND LIMITED TO ACTUAL OUT-OF-POCKET DAMAGES, BUT IN NO EVENT SHALL SUCH CLAIMS, JUDGMENTS OR AWARDS INCLUDE ANY PUNITIVE, EXEMPLARY, CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, ATTORNEYS' FEES OR COSTS OF BRINGING A CLAIM, ANY INJUNCTIVE OR OTHER EQUITABLE RELIEF. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

7. Additional Terms. Any attempted form of entry other than as set forth above is prohibited; no automatic, programmed; robotic or similar means of entry are permitted. Sponsor, its affiliates, partners and promotion and advertising agencies are not responsible for technical, hardware, software, telephone or other communications malfunctions, errors or failures of any kind, lost or unavailable network connections, web site, Internet, or ISP availability, unauthorized human intervention, traffic congestion, incomplete or inaccurate capture of entry information (regardless of cause) or failed, incomplete, garbled, jumbled or delayed computer transmissions which may limit one's ability to enter the Contest, including any injury or damage to participant's or any other person's computer relating to or resulting from participating in this Contest or downloading any materials in this Contest.  Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel, terminate, modify, extend or suspend this Contest should (in its sole discretion) virus, bugs, non-authorized human intervention, fraud or other causes beyond its control corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness or proper conduct of the Contest. In such case, Sponsor may, in its sole and absolute discretion, select the Winners from all eligible entries received prior to and/or after (if appropriate) the action taken by Sponsor. Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual it finds, in its sole discretion, to be tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Contest or web site. 

Sponsor may prohibit an entrant from participating in the Contest or winning a prize if, in its sole discretion, it determines that said entrant is attempting to undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest by cheating, hacking, deception, or other unfair playing practices (including the use of automated quick entry programs) or intending to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other entrants or Sponsor representatives.

CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT BY AN ENTRANT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEB SITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE CONTEST MAY BE A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, THE SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES FROM ANY SUCH PERSON TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.

8.  Use of Data.  Sponsor will be collecting personal data about entrants online, in accordance with its privacy policy.  Please review the Sponsor's privacy policy at http://www.mycricket.com/support/privacy-policy. By participating in the Contest, entrants hereby agree to Sponsor's collection and usage of their personal information and acknowledge that they have read and accepted Sponsor's privacy policy. 

9. List of Winners. To obtain a list of winners, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to:

Flowers Communications Group
303 E. Wacker Drive
Suite 1000
Chicago, IL 60601

10. Sponsor. Cricket Wireless LLC, 12735 Morris Road, Alpharetta, GA 30004           

11. Administrator: Flowers Communications Group, 303 E. Wacker Drive, Suite 1000, Chicago, IL 60601.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141003/150209

SOURCE Cricket Wireless