NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. MAKING A PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED OR RESTRICTED BY LAW.
1. PROMOTION DESCRIPTION: The Dr. Lawrence C. Hawkins Educator of the Year Award ("Award") nomination process begins on January 6, 2025, and ends on March 7, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. (EST) (the “Nomination Period”).
The sponsor of this award is Western & Southern Financial Group, Inc. ("Sponsor"). By participating, each nominator unconditionally accepts and agrees to comply with and abide by these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor and Cincinnati Public Schools, which shall be final and binding in all respects. The Sponsor is responsible for the collection, submission or processing of nominations and the overall administration of the Award. Award nominators should look solely to the Sponsor with any questions, comments or problems related to the award process.
2. ELIGIBILITY: Open to legal residents of the United States who are at least 18 years of age (the "Nominee"). Nominees must be current Cincinnati Public School District faculty members with at least five years of experience as an educator and three or more recent years of educational experience in the Cincinnati Public School District. All nominees must be certified to teach in the state of Ohio. Previous award winners are not eligible for repeat consideration.
Semifinalists and finalists selected by the nomination committee, which is represented by employees from Western & Southern Financial Group, Inc. and Cincinnati Public Schools and leadership from key CPS teaching and administration bargaining unions. Each member of the nomination committee will independently review and rank each nomination submission to identify a list of top semifinalists, finalists and a winner. The winner of the Award must be able to attend the award presentation event held on May 6, 2025, at 5 p.m. ET.
3. PRIZE: One (1) eligible winner will receive a personal award of $10,000. This Award is open to legal residents of the United States who are at least 18 years of age. Failure to comply with the Official Rules will result in forfeiture of the prize.
4. HOW TO ENTER: A nominator must complete and submit the Award Nomination online by February 28, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. (EST), by visiting the entry form, which can be found on the following website at www.westernsouthern.com/about/corporate-responsibility/community/hawkins-educator-of-the-year-award.
Automated or robotic entries submitted by individuals or organizations will be disqualified. Final eligibility for the award of any prize is subject to eligibility verification as set forth below. All nominations must be submitted by the end of the Nomination Period in order to participate.
5. WINNER SELECTION: The winner of the Award will be selected from among all eligible nominations received throughout the nomination period.
6. WINNER NOTIFICATION: Award semifinalists will be notified by email or phone at the email address or phone number provided in the nomination form by March 20. Award finalists will be notified by April 18. The winner will be announced at the award ceremony on May 6, 2025.
7. HOW TO CLAIM PRIZE: The selected winner must accept the award and prize at the award ceremony on May 6, 2025, held at The Guilford Building in Cincinnati, Ohio. No substitution or transfer of a prize is permitted except by Sponsors.
8. AWARD CONDITIONS: Unless the recipient contributes the award to a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based on Internal Revenue Service (IRS) rules, the applicable cash prize amount will be reported on IRS form 1099-MISC (miscellaneous income), filed with the IRS and issued to the recipient. Tax identity information will be collected by completing IRS form W-9 (request for taxpayer identification number and certification), or equivalent, in advance of payment of any prize amounts. In addition to the award package awarded to the award recipient, the award recipient will also receive a single cash payment called the “Tax Gross-Up Payment.” The Tax Gross-Up Payment is intended to assist with any applicable federal, state, or other tax obligations of award recipient related to the award package. The Tax Gross-Up Payment may not be sufficient to cover the winner’s entire tax liability related to winning the applicable award package. The award recipient is responsible for any federal, state or other tax obligations related to the award package in excess of the Tax Gross-Up Payment. Each award recipient should consult his or her own tax advisor regarding the tax considerations of the award package, including how to report the income. SPONSOR will comply with all tax reporting requirements including issuing a Form 1099-MISC to the award recipient that reflects all amounts paid and/or the fair market value of prize amounts received under the program. Tax identity information will be collected by completing IRS form W-9.
9. PRIVACY: Any personal information supplied by you will be subject to the privacy policy of the Sponsor posted at https://www.westernsouthern.com/privacy-policy. The Sponsor will not share your contact information or personally identifiable information with any unaffiliated third party.
10. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: Sponsors assume no responsibility or liability for (a) any incorrect or inaccurate entry information, or for any faulty or failed electronic data transmissions; (b) any unauthorized access to, or theft, destruction or alteration of entries at any point in the operation of this Award; (c) any technical malfunction, failure, error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or communications line failure, regardless of cause, with regard to any equipment, systems, networks, lines, satellites, servers, camera, computers or providers utilized in any aspect of the operation of the Award; (d) inaccessibility or unavailability of any network or wireless service, the Internet or website or any combination thereof; (e) suspended or discontinued Internet, wireless or landline phone service; or (f) any injury or damage to participant's or to any other person’s computer or mobile device which may be related to or resulting from any attempt to participate in the Award or download of any materials in the Award.
If, for any reason, the Award is not capable of running as planned for reasons which may include without limitation, infection by computer virus, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes which may corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of this Award, the Sponsors reserve the right at their sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Award in whole or in part. In such event, Sponsor shall immediately suspend all drawings and prize awards, and Sponsor reserves the right to award any remaining prizes (up to the total ARV as set forth in these Official Rules) in a manner deemed fair and equitable by Sponsors. Sponsors and Released Parties shall not have any further liability to any participant in connection with the Award.
11. SPONSORS: Western & Southern Financial Group, Inc., 400 Broadway, Cincinnati, OH 45202-3341.
