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For more information, contact:
Brenna Wanous 773.496.4020
bwanous@biodiverse.org
or
Tony Paraino 314.577.3453
anthony.paraino@anheuser-busch.com
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BIODIVERSITY
PROJECT, BUDWEISER SPONSOR PHOTO CONTEST
Annual Great Lakes Photo Contest Seeking Submissions
CHICAGO (July
30, 2008) - Think you're the next Ansel Adams? Now's your chance to
prove it by submitting your photos to the 2008 Great Lakes Photo Contest.
The Biodiversity Project’s
Great Lakes Forever program is teaming up with Budweiser to sponsor a
photography contest for those who love to capture images of the Great Lakes. The grand prize winner in both the
Professional and Amateur categories will see their original photographs printed
on the 2008 Great Lakes Forever/Budweiser beer coasters, to be distributed to
bars and restaurants throughout the Great Lakes
region.
In efforts to raise public awareness
and activism for protecting and improving the health of the Great
Lakes, the beer coaster campaign integrates environmental education
in common-place settings. In 2007, more than 60 photographers submitted approximately
140 photos to the contest. The top two photographs were printed on the
educational beer coasters, and were distributed in eight Great
Lakes states and two Canadian provinces.
“The Great
Lakes are an incredible resource, not only economically, but also
in terms of biodiversity, culture and personal identity,” said Jennifer Browning, executive director of the
Biodiversity Project. “We sometimes forget that despite their tremendous
size, what we do in our daily lives can impact the future of the Great Lakes for generations to come.”
“Great
Lakes residents are proud of their beautiful and valuable lakes,”
said Bob Fishbeck, Budweiser product manager. ”The awareness this
program brings sparks consumer interests about the Great Lakes and directs them
to the Great Lakes Forever Web site where they can learn more about the
Biodiversity Project and how they can get involved.”
To participate, photographers 21 and
older may go to the Great Lakes Forever Web site (www.greatlakesforever.org)
and fill out a registration form. After filling out the online form, entrants are
encouraged to submit up to three original photos of the Great
Lakes into the Photo Contest either online or through ground mail
by August 8, 2008. Once the submitted photos are received, they will undergo
two rounds of judging, first by the Great Lakes Forever/Budweiser team, and
second in an on-line public voting session.
The two Grand Prize winners will see
their photograph printed on the front of this year’s educational beer
coasters. The back of the coasters features surprising and interesting facts,
as well as information on where to go to get involved in protecting the Great Lakes.
In addition to printing the winning
photographs on the 2008 beer coasters, the Grand Prize winners will receive Budweiser
merchandise. All of the six finalists will be placed on the 2008 Great Lakes
Forever/Budweiser Great Lakes Poster, as well as receive recognition on the
Great Lakes Forever Web site.
Great Lakes Forever is a program of
the Biodiversity Project, based out of Chicago,
Illinois. Since its creation in
2004, Great Lakes Forever has become a source for public education and activism
programs that help strengthen the movement to protect the Great
Lakes. Budweiser has joined with the Biodiversity Project to help
sponsor initiatives and projects of Great Lakes Forever since 2005. In addition to supporting the coaster photo contest, Budweiser
has made a $20,000 donation to Great Lakes Forever for education and awareness
programs that focus on protecting water quality.
Based in St.
Louis, Anheuser‑Busch is the leading American brewer, holding
a 48.5 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. and Global Companies lists in
2008. 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.
For more information on the 2008
Great Lakes Photo Contest, sponsored by Great Lakes Forever and Budweiser,
please visit www.greatlakesforever.org.
You may also contact Brenna Wanous, Great Lakes Forever program manager at
773-496-4020 or bwanous@biodiverse.org.
Editor’s Note: Images to
accompany this story are available for download at: http://greatlakesforever.org/html/media/bud2008imagebank.htm
# # #
Brenna Wanous
Great Lakes Town
Hall Manager
Biodiversity Project
214 N. Henry St. #201
Madison, WI
53703
(work) 608-250-9876
(cell) 608-886-0020
bwanous@biodiverse.org
Life. Nature. You. Make the Connection.
www.greatlakestownhall.org
www.biodiversityproject.org