Official rules for The 2025 Post-Standard | syracuse.com Treasure Hunt
By. syracuse.com | The Post-Standard
OFFICIAL CONTEST RULES FOR 2025
NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN THIS PROMOTION. A purchase will not improve the chances of winning. By entering this Promotion, entrants accept and agree to be bound by these Official Rules. Any violation of these rules may, at Sponsor’s discretion, result in disqualification. All decisions of the judges regarding this Promotion are final and binding in all respects.
PROMOTION PERIOD: Promotion begins February 13, 2025, and ends 5:00 PM ET February 22, 2025 (“Promotion Period”).
HOW TO ENTER: Following the clues published in The Post Standard, on Syracuse.com and on the AMNY social channels and find the medallion hidden on public property in Onondaga County. The placement of the medallion has been verified by Dermody, Burke & Brown CPAs, LLC. Once the medallion is found, call the phone number printed on the back, provide the code to the operator and state the clue that led you to the medallion. After validating the code and clue and determining that he/she has met all eligibility requirements of the Promotion, including without limitation the execution of required waivers, publicity and liability releases and disclaimers, and, at Sponsor’s discretion, successful completion of a background check, such individual will be declared the “winner” of the Promotion.
PRIZE DESCRIPTION: There will be one (1) winner. The prize is $2,000. A $500 donation will be made by Summit Federal Credit Union in winner’s name to a charity chosen by winner from a list provided by Sponsor. Additionally, winner will be required to attend the official ceremony at the Summit Federal Credit Union Branch in Syracuse where winner will select the charity for the $500 donation within five (5) days of being declared the official winner. If winner is unable or unwilling to attend the ceremony, winner forfeits the prize.
SECOND CHANCE DRAWING: If the medallion is not be found by 5:00 PM ET, February 22, 2025, or the potential winner is deemed ineligible for any reason, including inability or unwillingness to participate in the award ceremony, there will be a Second Chance Drawing to determine a new winner. To enter the Second Chance Drawing, print your name, mailing address, telephone number and email address on a 4.25” x 6” postcard and mail it to Treasure Hunt 2025, Advance Media NY, Community Relations, 220 S. Warren Street, Syracuse, NY 13202. All entries must be postmarked by 5:00 PM ET February 22, 2025 and received no later than five (5) days later. One (1) potential winner for the unclaimed prize will be selected in a random drawing from all the second chance entries received, on or about February 28, 2025. If potential winner cannot be contacted, does not respond within five (5) days, fails to meet any winner eligibility criteria or the prize or prize notification is returned as undeliverable, such potential winner forfeits all rights to any prize, and an alternate winner may be selected. Second Chance Drawing Winner must be prepared to attend the official ceremony at the Summit Federal Credit Union as noted above in the Prize Description, otherwise winner forfeits the prize and an alternate winner may be chosen. Odds of winning the Second Chance Drawing depend on the number of eligible Second Chance Drawing entries received.
TAXES: All federal, state and/or local income and other taxes, if any, are the winner’s sole responsibility.
CONSENT AND RELEASE: By entering the Promotion, each entrant releases and discharges the Sponsor, judging organization (if applicable), and any other party associated with the development or administration of this Promotion, their parent, subsidiary, and affiliated entities, and each of their respective officers, directors, members, shareholders, employees, independent contractors, agents, representatives, successors and assigns (collectively, “Sponsor Entities”), from any and all liability whatsoever in connection with this Promotion, including without limitation legal claims, costs, injuries, losses or damages, demands or actions of any kind (including without limitation personal injuries, death, damage to, loss or destruction or property, rights of publicity or privacy, defamation, or portrayal in a false light) (collectively, “Claims”). Except where prohibited: (i) entry into the Promotion constitutes the consent of each entrant, without further compensation, to use his/her name, likeness, biographical data, and contact information for editorial, advertising, marketing, publicity, and administrative purposes by the Sponsor and/or others authorized by the Sponsor; (ii) acceptance of a prize constitutes a release by any winner of the Sponsor Entities of any and all Claims in connection with the administration of this Promotion and the use, misuse, or any prize; (iii) any potential winner may be required to sign an affidavit of eligibility (including social security number) and a liability/publicity/copyright release; and (iv) if prize involves travel or activities, any potential winner and travel companion (if applicable) may be required to execute releases of the Sponsor from any and all liability with respect to participation in such travel/activities and/or use of the prize. Fully-executed affidavits and releases must be received by Sponsor within five (5) days from the date that Sponsor first tries to notify the potential winner. Sponsor may conduct a background check to confirm any potential winner’s eligibility and compliance with these rules. By entering, you agree to cooperate reasonably with any such background check. If the prize includes participation in any public event(s) or publicity, or if Sponsor Entities intend to publicize the winner in any way, and if a background check reveals that a potential winner has engaged in conduct that could damage the reputation or business of any Sponsor Entity, as determined by Sponsor in its discretion, the potential winner may be disqualified and the prize may be awarded to an alternate winner.
DISCLAIMERS (i) Sponsor not responsible for Second Chance Drawing entries that are lost, late, misdirected, incorrect, garbled, or incompletely received, for any reason, including by reason of hardware, software, browser, or network failure, malfunction, congestion, or incompatibility at Sponsor’s servers or elsewhere. In the event of a dispute, entries will be deemed submitted by the authorized account holder of the e-mail address submitted at the time of entry. “Authorized account holder” is defined as the natural person who is assigned to an e-mail address by an Internet Access Provider, online service provider, or other organization (e.g., business, educational institute) that is responsible for assigning e-mail addresses for the domain associated with the submitted e-mail address. (ii) Sponsor, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to disqualify any person tampering with the entry process or the operation of the web site or otherwise attempting to undermine the legitimate operation of the Promotion. Use of bots or other automated process to enter is prohibited and may result in disqualification at the sole discretion of Sponsor. (iii) Sponsor further reserves the right to cancel, terminate or modify the Promotion if it is not capable of completion as planned, including by reason of infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, force majeure or technical failures of any sort. (iv) Sponsor Entities are not responsible for errors in the administration or fulfillment of this Promotion, including without limitation mechanical, human, printing, distribution or production errors, and may cancel, terminate or modify this Promotion based upon such error at its sole discretion without liability. In no event will Sponsor be responsible for awarding more than the number of prizes specified in these rules. (v) In the event this Promotion is cancelled or terminated, pursuant to subparagraph (iii) or (iv), Sponsor, in its sole discretion, may elect to select a winner from among all eligible entries received up to the date of discontinuance for any or all of the prizes offered herein. (vi) SPONSOR ENTITIES MAKE NO WARRANTIES, REPRESENTATIONS OR GUARANTEES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN FACT OR IN LAW, AS REGARDS THIS PROMOTION OR THE MERCHANTABILITY, QUALITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE REGARDING ANY PRIZE OR ANY COMPONENT OF ANY PRIZE. (vii) CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT BY AN ENTRANT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE THE WEBSITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THIS PROMOTION MAY BE A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND/OR CIVIL LAWS, AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK REMEDIES AND DAMAGES (INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ATTORNEYS’ FEES) FROM ANY SUCH ENTRANT TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW, INCLUDING CRIMINAL PROSECUTION. (viii) The value(s) of the prize(s) set forth above represent Sponsor’s good faith determination of the approximate retail value(s) thereof; the actual fair market value(s) as ultimately determined by Sponsor are final and binding and cannot be challenged or appealed. In the event the stated approximate retail value(s) of a prize is more than the actual fair market value of that prize, the difference will not be awarded in cash or otherwise. No substitution or compensation will be given for any portion of the prize that is not used.