GLIN==> Ten Days to Submit Your Great Lakes Photos!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information, contact:

Brenna Wanous 773.496.4020

Tony Paraino 314.577.3453

TEN DAYS TO SUBMIT YOUR GREAT LAKES PHOTOS!

Annual Great Lakes Photo Contest Seeking Submissions by August 8, 2008

CHICAGO (July 28, 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 (www.biodiversityproject.org). 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

Great Lakes Forever Program Assistant

Biodiversity Project
214 N. Henry St. #201
Madison, WI 53703

(work) 608-250-9876

(cell) 608-886-0020

bwanous@biodiverse.org

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