GREAT
LAKES FOREVER AND BUDWEISER LAUNCH PHOTO CONTEST
FOR GREAT LAKES BEER COASTERS
Regional photographers
will compete for exclusive prizes and the chance to see their photos on
specially themed Budweiser coasters designed to raise Great
Lakes awareness this summer.
MADISON, Wis.
- This summer, Biodiversity Project and Budweiser are asking amateur and
professional adult photographers to grab their cameras and head to the Great Lakes. The Madison, Wisconsin–based
non-profit group is launching a Great Lakes
photo contest with prizes donated by Anheuser-Busch. First-place finishers in
each category will receive specially designed Budweiser Trek bicycles. The top
two winning photos will also be featured on Budweiser beer coasters with Great Lakes awareness messages. The coasters will be
distributed to bars and restaurants throughout the Great
Lakes region.
“We
are proud to be working with Anheuser-Busch again this year to preserve and
protect one of our nation’s most precious resources,” notes Jeffrey
Potter, coordinator of the Great Lakes Forever program. “The Lakes are
threatened by invasive species, sewage overflows, wetland loss, global warming and
more, but it’s not too late to save them. We hope this contest will be a
fun, unique and creative way to inspire more people to take action to protect
this international treasure.”
This
is the third year that Anheuser-Busch, the nation’s leading brewer and
one of the world’s largest recyclers of aluminum cans, has joined
Biodiversity Project to help protect the world’s largest fresh water
resource. The photo contest and beer coasters are part of a larger
public education initiative by Biodiversity Project called Great Lakes
Forever. Since 2004, this initiative has worked to raise awareness of the Great Lakes and protect the valuable, but vulnerable
natural heritage of the region. In addition to supporting the coaster photo
contest, Budweiser has made a $15,000 donation to Great Lakes Forever for
education and awareness programs that focus on protecting water quality.
“Each
day, we depend on the Great Lakes for water,
food, transportation and recreation,” said Paul Simmons, Budweiser brand
manager. “Partnering with Biodiversity Project on this program will help
raise awareness of the environmental issues that threaten the Great
Lakes. Helping protect the Lakes now will ensure that future
generations will be able to enjoy them as we do today.”
Photographers
may enter images that highlight the natural beauty of the Great
Lakes. There are categories for both amateur and professional
photographers, with prizes for the top three images in each category being
determined through online voting. The deadline for submitting photos is July
2, 2007. Interested photographers should visit www.greatlakesforever.org to
download their submission form and learn more about the contest rules.
Biodiversity
Project’s Great Lakes Forever program also includes special broadcasts on
Wisconsin Public Television, educational state park signs, radio and print ads,
and the Web site where residents may learn more about the Lakes and other ways
to become involved.
###
Great Lakes Forever is a program
of Biodiversity Project. Biodiversity Project advocates for biodiversity by
designing and implementing innovative communication strategies that build and
motivate a broad constituency to protect biodiversity. A national organization
based in Madison, Wisconsin, the Biodiversity Project has
worked with leaders in policy, advocacy, education, science, religious and
grantmaking fields since 1995. For more information, visit www.biodiversityproject.org
and www.greatlakesforever.org.
Based in St. Louis,
Anheuser-Busch is the leading American brewer, holding a 48.4 percent share of U.S.
beer sales. The company brews the world’s largest-selling beers,
Budweiser and Bud Light. Anheuser-Busch also owns a 50 percent share in Grupo
Modelo, Mexico’s leading brewer, and a 27 percent share in China brewer
Tsingtao, whose namesake beer brand is the country’s best-selling premium
beer. Anheuser-Busch ranked No. 1 among beverage companies in FORTUNE
Magazine’s Most Admired U.S. Companies list in 2007. Anheuser-Busch is
one of the largest theme park operators in the United States, is a major
manufacturer of aluminum cans and one of the world’s largest recyclers of
aluminum cans. For more information, visit www.anheuser-busch.com.
Jeffrey Potter
Director of Communications Programs
Biodiversity Project
214 N. Henry St.
#201
Madison, WI 53703
P: 608-250-9876 x12
F: 608-204-9768
Donate and learn more
online: www.biodiversityproject.org
Help the Great Lakes, visit: www.greatlakesforever.org
Meet your neighbors,
chat at: www.greatlakestownhall.org