Contest Rules

The Stroke Hero Awards Contest (the “Contest”) is a volunteer-based program conducted by American Heart Association, Inc. (“AHA”). These Rules apply to all participants. AHA shall make all determinations as to whether the Rules have been complied with, and the decision of the Sponsor as to any issue is final.

Sponsors: AHA is the Sponsor of this Contest.

Eligibility: No purchase or donation is necessary to participate in the Contest. A donation does not increase one’s chance of winning.  Participants must be at least eighteen (18) years of age as of the date of entry or have written permission of their parent or guardian in accordance with these Rules if under the age of 18. The Contest is open to legal residents of the United States including District of Columbia and territories. The following people are not eligible to participate in the Contest: (1) Employees or directors of AHA and their immediate family, (2) any person who has won a Stroke Hero Awards in the past five years and, (3) any person who has been identified as a Real Woman by the AHA in the past five years. This contest is void where prohibited or restricted by law.

For this purpose, “immediate family” includes the spouse, parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, brothers, sisters, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren of the employee and his/her spouse. This definition also includes a) “step” and adoptive relationships, b) individuals for whom an employee is the current legal guardian and c) individuals who are not legally related but who reside with an employee.

Time: The entry period for the Contest starts at 8:01 am on October 3, 2023 (all times Central Time) and ends at 11:59 pm on December 4, 2023 (the “Contest Period”). All entries must be received during the Contest Period.

Entry: Participants may enter the Contest by submitting an online Nomination Form, found at stroke.org/heroawards, to AHA and detailing how the person nominated best characterizes one of five categories: Survivor Hero; Pediatric Hero; Caregiver Hero; Equity Hero; and Group Heroes and clearly demonstrates what activities the subject of the nomination has engaged in or efforts he or she have made to help educate, inspire and bring awareness to stroke in his or her community. Completed and submitted nomination forms will be made available to the judging committee and online for a popular vote at stroke.org/heroawards. All subjects of nomination forms must consent to their participation and consideration prior to public release of any information about such nominee. If the subject of a Nomination Form is under the age of 18, the nominator must provide the contact information of the parent or guardian of the subject. Those who are nominated that are under the age of 18 will not satisfy the entry requirements of this Contest if a parent or guardian does not consent to their participation and consideration. Nominations chosen for the popular vote (Voters’ Choice Hero) will be condensed to include the candidates’ name, state, and short description.

The odds of winning the Contest depend on the total number of eligible entries. By participating in the Contest, each participant fully and unconditionally agrees to, and accepts these Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor, which are final and binding in all matters related to the Contest.

Determination of Winner: There will be five winners of the Contest selected by the committee (the “Judges’ Winners”). The Judges’ Winners will be determined by a committee and based on which submissions had best follow-the-Entry requirements. There will be one winner per category. There will also be one winner selected by the public, of up to twelve (12) nominations that were not selected as Judges’ Winners (the “Voters’ Choice Winner”) (the Judge’s Winners and the Voters’ Choice Winner, may be referred to collectively as the “Winners”). Each Winner will be notified at the conclusion of the Contest Period by e-mail or phone within approximately twelve (12) weeks of the Contest end date and subsequently announced to the public. The determination of the Winners by Sponsor is final and binding on all participants. Each Prize may be forfeited and awarded to an alternative winner if a Winner does not respond within seven (7) days of notification or if two (2) attempts to contact a Winner by phone and/or email are not successful. The alternate winner will be determined by who had the next best submission. The Prizes are not transferable.

Prize: The Judges’ Winners and the Voters’ Choice Winner will each be featured on various media by AHA, including AHA’s website. The estimated fair market value of the Prize is $100, but the actual value may differ. 

Consent to Publicity: Except where prohibited by law, by entering the Contest, the Winners consent to Sponsor’s use of his or her name and/or photograph in any publicity, publications, promotional and marketing material, advertising, and any other print materials, web pages, electronic or other communications published or distributed by Sponsor without compensation and without notice and agrees to sign an agreement to this effect.

Miscellaneous Conditions: In the event that the operation or administration of the Contest is impaired or prevented in any way for any reason, including, but not limited to fraud, change of condition, or other technical problems, the Sponsor may in their sole discretion, either: (a) terminate the Contest; (b) suspend the Contest to address the impairment and then resume the Contest in a manner that best conforms to the spirit of these Rules; (c) change the Rules of the Contest and/or (d) substitute other prizes for any prize set forth in these Rules that becomes unavailable for any reason. The Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any individual found to be tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Contest or acting in violation of these Rules. Failure to accept a prize, timely, and pursuant to the terms stated therein, will result in such Winner’s automatic forfeiture of his/her prize with no substitution or alternative prize available. Sponsor’s failure to enforce any term of these Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that or any other provision. Information provided by you for this Contest is subject to Sponsor’s privacy policy.

Sponsor is not responsible for: (i) electronic transmissions that are lost, late, stolen, incomplete, damaged or misdirected; (ii) any problems or technical malfunctions, errors, omissions, deletions, defects, communication failures or (iii) causes beyond the Sponsor’s reasonable control that jeopardize the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of the Contest. Sponsor will not be responsible if weather conditions, event cancellations, acts of God or other circumstances beyond their control prevent the Prize or the Contest from taking place.

Sponsor makes no warranties, and hereby disclaims any and all warranties, express or implied, concerning any prize furnished in connection with the Contest. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, prizes are provided on an “as is” basis without warranty of any kind, either express or implied, and sponsor hereby disclaims all such warranties, including but not limited to, the implied warranty of merchantability, fitness for a particular and/or non-infringement. Some jurisdictions may not allow limitations or exclusions of implied warranties so some of the limitations or exclusions in this section may not apply in such jurisdictions. 

By participating in the Contest, participants agree to release, discharge and hold harmless Sponsor and each of their affiliates, directors, officers, employees, and agents from and against any and all injuries, claims, losses, damages, actions and/or liability arising out of or in connection with, directly or indirectly, participation in and/or entry into the Contest or acceptance, delivery, possession, use or misuse of any prize received in this Contest. The determinations of the Sponsor are final and binding with respect to any matter arising out of the interpretation or application of these Rules.

Personal Information: Any personal information collected through this Sweepstakes is subject to the AHA’s Privacy Statement (https://www.heart.org/en/about-us/statements-and-policies/privacy-statement). By entering this Sweepstakes, each entrant agrees to the use of her personal information as described in the above Privacy Statement.

For a list of winners, send a hand-written, self-addressed, stamped envelope to American Stroke Association, Stroke Hero Awards, 7272 Greenville Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75231. Requests for the winner list must be received by November 30, 2024.