Valpak Celebrates National Winner Of First Annual Block Party

Mother and Small Business Owner Wins "Rock the Block" Contest

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Jun 22, 2016, 11:24 ET

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., June 22, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of its continued commitment to give back to the community, Valpak is proud to announce the winner of its first annual Rock the Block Contest: Congratulations to Theresa LaMoria of Stockton, Kansas! The grand prize is an all-inclusive neighborhood block party for her and 100 of her closest friends. This is the first year of the national contest that will now take place every year as one of Valpak's latest initiatives to give back to communities across America. The goal of sponsoring a neighborhood block party is to help support neighbors getting to know one another and to strengthen community ties, reinforcing Valpak's long-standing tradition of helping neighborhoods thrive.

"Neighborhoods are at the center of everything we do here at Valpak," said Lisa Sullivan, vice president of marketing at Valpak. "We are the people who live and work in your community so we truly understand the importance of unity among neighbors. This is why we could not be more excited to bring a block party to such a deserving mother who has worked so hard to achieve her dreams – and to such a deserving neighborhood!"

LaMoria and her two children, ages 8 and 15, who relocated from Tucson, AZ to the small Kansas farm town 10 years ago to fulfill her dreams of owning a home where she could raise her kids. After searching online, she immediately fell in love with an old farmhouse listed for an affordable $18,000. So, she and her kids packed up and headed to the Midwest. She has since taken her dream one step further and opened her own small business, called The Enchanted Cottage.

"This town turned out to be a piece of heaven. It was like stepping back in time," said LaMoria. "As soon as I moved in, I had neighbors showing up with pies. People are friendly, honest and trustworthy here. No one locks their cars or homes, nor are there any locks on any of the kid's bikes or lockers down at the school. No one steals anything. Neighbors help neighbors. I am so thankful that Valpak has given me the opportunity to express my gratitude to my community with this block party."

LaMoria was one of over 2,000 essay submissions received last fall when the contest was first announced on Valpak envelopes, valpak.com and via social media. Submissions required an original essay detailing what makes their neighborhood awesome and why they wanted to throw a block party. Before the winner was selected, a random drawing was held to narrow entries down to 50 finalists. Then, a grand prize winner was selected based on creativity, originality, relevance and overall impression. The grand prize, valued at over $9,000, was planned with a theme of the winner's choice, and Valpak will cover all event costs, including: event venue; band/DJ; food; drinks; and décor. The block party will be held from 5 p.m. until midnight on Saturday, June 25. For more information, visit Valpak.com/party to prep, plan and clean up after your next party, plus details on how you could rock your block this year, too!

About Valpak
Based in St. Petersburg, FL, Valpak is one of the leading direct marketing companies in the U.S. and Canada. We provide print and digital advertising through a network of 160 local franchises. From mailbox to mobile phone, Valpak brings exciting local business offers and opportunities to millions of consumers. Each month, our well-known Blue Envelope of savings is mailed to about 39 million demographically targeted households in 45 states and in four Canadian provinces. Our digital suite of products, including valpak.com, reaches more than 110 million users. Founded in 1968, Valpak is owned by Cox Target Media, a subsidiary of Cox Media Group in Atlanta.

CONTACT:
Samantha Rego
Valpak
727-399-3139
[email protected]

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SOURCE Valpak