Protect Our Winters (POW) is one of the leading climate advocacy groups for the winter sports community. To celebrate becoming a member — the only bank they’ve ever accepted — we’ve launched an Instagram photo contest that aims to shed light on the impact global warming is having on our winters, the environment, and the outdoor community as a whole.
How have you witnessed climate change affecting our winters? #CapturetheChange for a chance to win the ultimate POW Package with awesome gear for skiers, snowboarders, or hikers. The change can be big or small. Just capture what’s most meaningful to you.
NO PURCHASE, ACCOUNT, SERVICE, OR PAYMENT IS REQUIRED TO ENTER OR WIN THIS CONTEST.
Thanks again to all the participants in our #CaptureTheChange contest who captured the change they saw in the ? and shined a light on #climatechange and protecting our winters. After reviewing tons of entries, we’re excited to announce that our judges have selected our 10 winners who have won a $2,000 POW Package!
Congratulations to our winners! Your photos embody the changes we wanted to showcase with this contest and we’re thankful for your efforts in capturing these awesome photos! @protectourwinters #PositiveBanking
@aimeeetayyy: Here to talk about climate change, winter, and fish! In the past few years working on different river systems, I’ve been able to see the effects of high water years and drought years. Snowpack and spring melt mean everything to the systems where trout and salmon thrive – from timing of insect hatches, when and where amphibians lay their eggs, to how organic matter is distributed along the river continuum. This is just one of the many reasons we need to elect leaders who will fight against climate change and @protectourwinters
I’m feeling proud that my long-time bank has committed to helping, not harming, the environment and refuses to invest in corporations that are degrading our climate. Where you put your money matters! Consider @bankofthewest
@angela_service: You know what I love about winter? I love seeing all the mountains here in the Northwest covered in snow! Unfortunately, it doesn’t last very long and I have seen and felt the devastating effects that happen when the shrinking and melting glaciers have on the environment locally.
Just last year, the drought coordinator for the Washington Department of Ecology stated that, “our statewide snowpack is the fourth-lowest it’s been over the past 30 years,”. And only twenty days into May, Washington state’s Governor declared drought for nearly half of Washington’s watersheds. Massive amounts of salmon died in too-warm streams and agricultural losses exceeded $633 million.Mountain snowpack all over the world has been melting at an alarming rate. Fortunately, there are passionate people who are committed to helping the environment.
@BankoftheWest is focused on the positive impact they can make in the world and put their money where it matters. They have joined brands @burton and @patagonia in becoming a member of @protectourwinters – a group that helps people protect the places and lifestyles they love from climate change. Check them out and see what they’re all about!
@coal_the_shepsky: 74 degrees & ☀️ one day, 24 degrees and a foot of snow the next ❄️
@danielle.e.christenson: Antarctica 2019 ??? This place is magical. no need to say more.
@travelsofacrazybunnylady: Climate change has caused some pretty wild ski days! On February 18, 2018, it was 55° as I rode down Mary Jane comfortably in my wedding dress! ? Share your own photos that show how climate change has impacted our winters. Hoping to win that ikon pass for next year! ?♥️?
@justinsteegram: @protectourwinters and @bankofthewest are hosting a photo contest to spread awareness about how climate change has affected our winters. Sunshine is great for beach days, not ideal on the mountain. Head over to their page for more details on how to enter the #contest to help #capturethechange
@_mcastaneda_: Growing up in Florida, winter didn’t have much of an appreciation with me. In fact I still don’t like being cold; but it wasn’t until I moved west that I began to understand what winter could be and it wasn’t until I traveled to Iceland that I really saw the absolute beauty of what winter can offer. This picture is from an Ice cave inside one of the many glaciers Iceland has to offer. Say what you want about climate change, but I know where I started hiking on this giant Ice block vs where it started the year prior. The sad truth is that these things are melting rapidly and this picture holds true for me because I’m not sure how many more times I’ll be able to experience something like that, at least in that part of the world. @protectourwinters and @bankofthewest are two companies that I’ve seen firsthand commit to practices they feel can help change our planet for the good. Check them out and see what you think.
@sierradescents: This image should just be a fun image to remember a fun trip to the #Yosemite high country this last weekend for @dakotasnider’s birthday… which it is in some ways, but it other more real ways it’s scary. This is Tioga Pass Road in the Eastern Sierra, CA, and should be absolutely BURIED right now. However we recently broke the record for the driest month (1/22-2/22) of winter precip ever recorded. Biking up usually isn’t even a thought until May or June, but this is our reality right now— unprecedented weather swings from year-to-year and, in some cases, completely opposite seasonal patterns.
@omkannav: Trees are guarding our lakes and nature! Please don’t cut them ??
@sinistrality: Beautiful, right? This scene is disappearing before our eyes at a faster pace than ever before. Climate change is here now and we have a responsibility to advocate immediate changes to our habits, our laws and regulations, as well as how we teach future generations. Skiing this weekend and seeing the current low snow totals is a stark reminder of what we need to do NOW!
Ten winners will each have the chance to select one of the below ‘POW’ packages:
‘The Snowboarder POW Package’ containing: 1 Burton Snowboard, 1 pair of Burton snowboard bindings and 1 20/21’ Ikon Base Pass ; OR ‘The Skier POW Package’ containing: one 1 pair of Rossignol skis, 1 pair of Rossignol ski bindings, and 1 20/21’ Ikon Base Pass ; OR ‘The Hiker POW Package’ containing: 1 REI tent, 1 REI sleeping bag, 1 REI backpack and 1 pair of REI hiking poles.
*Accounts must remain public for the duration of the contest. Since posts from private profiles cannot be accessed, any such post will not be recognized as an entry.
#CapturetheChange Contest Official Rules
THIS CONTEST IS IN NO WAY SPONSORED, ENDORSED, OR ADMINISTERED BY, OR ASSOCIATED WITH FACEBOOK OR INSTAGRAM.
NO PURCHASE, ACCOUNT, SERVICE OR PAYMENT IS REQUIRED TO ENTER OR WIN THIS CONTEST.
1. Eligibility. The Contest is open only to individuals who, at the time of entry, are legal residents of the United States or the District of Columbia and have reached the age of legal majority in the jurisdiction in which they reside. Employees, representatives, and agents of the Bank (as defined below) and its related companies and promotion agencies, as well as the immediate family (spouse, parents, siblings, and children) and household members (whether or not related) of each such employee, representative, or agent are not eligible to enter. Individuals who are not eligible to do business with Bank, including without limitation, individuals who are on the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) or any similar sanctions list of any jurisdiction are not eligible to enter. The Contest is subject to all federal, state, and local laws and regulations and is void outside of the United States and where prohibited by law.
2. Sponsor. Bank of the West, 180 Montgomery Street, San Francisco, CA 94104 (“Sponsor” or “Bank”).
3. Agreement to Official Rules. Your use of the “#CaptureTheChange” hashtag and @bankofthewest as designated in Section 5 below constitutes your full and unconditional agreement to these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor, which are final and binding. Winning a prize is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements set forth herein in a timely manner.
4. Entry Period. The Contest begins on December 19, 2019, at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time (“PT”) and ends on March 1, 2020, at 11:59 p.m. PT (the “Entry Period”). Entries received prior to or after the Entry Period will be disqualified.
5. How to Enter. During the Entry Period, you must (a) follow Bank of the West on Instagram (@bankofthewest), and then (b) post a photo (an “Image”) to the Instagram platform from your public Instagram user account, and
- Tag the accounts “@Bankofthewest” and “@Protectourwinters” in the image or post caption, and
- Use the hashtag “#CaptureTheChange” and, immediately following the #CaptureTheChange hashtag, “#contest” in the image or post caption, as the first and second hashtags in any string of hashtags.
Your Image(s) must illustrate change in our winters related to climate change. You agree to furnish the Sponsor with a high resolution version of your Image, upon request. Limit: five (5) entries per person.
6. Requirements for Entry Images. Images must be your own original work and must not: (a) contain any content that could be considered deceptive, misleading, false, fraudulent, scandalous, indecent, obscene, sexually explicit, defamatory, libelous, threatening, harassing, hateful, degrading, intimidating, graphically violent or otherwise unlawful, tortious, or objectionable; (b) depict, encourage, promote, or induce conduct that could violate any law or give rise to criminal or civil liability, or that could be considered risky, violent, discriminatory, or otherwise inappropriate; (c) apart from logos associated with Sponsor, contain any content that is protected by copyright, trademark (including, without limitation, any logo that appears on an article of clothing or elsewhere), trade secret, right of publicity, or other proprietary right, without the express prior written consent of the owner of such right; (d) contain any personally identifying information about any individual; (e) depict any individual other than you, unless you have received a signed written release from such individual or, if he or she is a minor, from his or her parent or legal guardian; or (f) contain any confidential information, or any material, non-public information about any company.
Images must not have been entered into any other contest, promotion, or exhibition, or otherwise published or distributed. Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to refuse to accept any entry or Image.
7. Selection of Potential Winners. At the conclusion of the Entry Period, a panel of judges selected in the Bank’s sole discretion (the “Judges”) will review eligible entries based on the following equally weighted criteria: (a) exemplification of the spirit of the Contest, i.e., change in our winters related to climate change; (b) artistic merit; and (c) creativity and originality. The entrants with the ten (10) highest overall scores will be deemed the potential Prize winners. In the event of a tie, the potential winner will be the entrant with the higher score for artistic merit.
Judges’ decisions are final and not subject to review or appeal. Based on the quality of entries, Sponsors reserve the right to not select winners. Potential winners will be notified on or about March 16, 2020 through the Instagram platform. If a potential winner cannot be contacted within five (5) business days of the first attempt to contact him or her, Sponsor will select an alternate potential winner in his or her place.
8. Requirements of Potential Winners. Except where prohibited, potential winners will be required to complete and return a W-9, Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification and a notarized affidavit of eligibility, compliance with rules, assignment/license, and liability/publicity release (the “Affidavit/Release”) within five (5) business days of being notified. If a potential winner fails to sign and return the W-9 and Affidavit/Release within the required time period, if notification or prize is returned as undeliverable, or if Sponsor determines in its sole discretion that a potential winner is ineligible, an alternate entrant will be selected in his/her place. Winner will be required to provide W-9 form for Social Security number and other information for tax reporting purposes. Unless prohibited by law, acceptance of a prize constitutes permission for Sponsor to use winner’s name, picture, likeness, address (city and state), and biographical information for advertising and publicity purposes, worldwide, without further compensation.
9. Publicity Release. By participating in the Contest and/or accepting the prize, each entrant irrevocably gives permission (and agrees to confirm this permission in writing) to Sponsor to use his or her name, image, photograph, voice, statements, biographical information, and likeness, in any and all media, for advertising and promotional purposes, without further compensation or notice, worldwide and in perpetuity, in any and all forms of media, now known and hereafter devised, including without limitation on- line, unless prohibited by law. See Section 11 below for Sponsor’s rights to the use of any entry submissions.
10. Prizes.
Ten (10) Prize winners will each receive one (1) ‘POW Package’ of their choice, between:
‘The Snowboarder POW Package’ containing: one (1) Burton Snowboard (with retail value up to $800), one (1) pair of Burton snowboard bindings (with retail value up to $400) and one (1) 20/21’ Ikon Base Pass (with retail value up to $800. Subject to all privileges and restrictions. For full details, see www.ikonpass.com); OR ‘The Skier POW Package’ containing: one (1) pair of Rossignol skis (with retail value up to $800), one (1) pair of Rossignol ski bindings (with retail value up to $400), and one (1) 20/21’ Ikon Base Pass (with retail value up to $800. Subject to all privileges and restrictions. For full details, see www.ikonpass.com ); OR ‘The Hiker POW Package’ containing: one (1) REI tent (with retail value up to $800), one (1) REI sleeping bag (with retail value up to $500), one (1) REI backpack (with retail value up to $400) and one (1) pair of REI hiking poles (with retail value up to $300).
Conditions on All Prizes. Limit: one (1) prize per person. All federal, state, and local sales, use and other taxes and all other costs associated with prize receipt and use are solely the responsibility of the winner. Prizes are non-transferable and non-assignable. No cash or other substitution permitted, except that Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to substitute a prize with another prize of comparable or greater value. All prizes are awarded AS IS.
11. Sponsor’s Rights to Images. By entering the Contest, you grant the Sponsor and its related entities a non-exclusive, irrevocable license to reproduce, publish, exhibit and communicate to the public your Image(s), by any means and in all media throughout the world. This license is granted only for use in relation to the Contest, which shall include (with the right to sub-license where necessary) – but will not be limited to – any of the following uses:
(i) the process of judging the entries;
(ii) publication in other magazines or print media which the Sponsor may produce;
(iii) publication on relevant parts of the Sponsor’s websites, including within interactive elements available for viewing or download;
(iv) in publicity materials (including social media).
For example, and without limitation, Images may be re-used and featured on Sponsor’s Instagram page throughout the duration of the Contest, including your original caption and Instagram user name. Sponsor reserves the right (but does not have the obligation) to verify at any time that all necessary rights, clearances, consents, releases, and other permissions in or relating to your Image(s) have been validly obtained, and you agree to fully cooperate with Sponsor in any such verification inquiries.
12. Release and Limitation of Liability. By participating in the Contest, you agree to release, indemnify, and hold harmless Sponsor, Facebook and Instagram, each of their respective related companies, and each such company’s respective officers, directors, employees, and agents (collectively, the “Released Parties”) from and against any claim or cause of action arising out of or related to, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, your participation in the Contest, creation of your Image(s), or receipt, use, or misuse of any prize, including, but not limited to: (a) claims that your Image(s) violates any intellectual property, publicity, or other rights; (b) claims arising from any use or other exploitation of, or failure to use or exploit, your Image(s); (c) claims arising from any breach or alleged breach by you of these Official Rules; (d) claims arising from unauthorized human intervention in the Contest; (e) claims arising from technical or printing errors; (f) claims arising from lost, late, postage-due, misdirected, or undeliverable mail or email; (g) claims arising from errors in the administration of the Contest or the processing of entries; (h) claims arising from injury, death, or damage to persons or property; or (i) claims based on defamation, infringement of intellectual property rights, or on the rights of publicity or privacy. You further agree that in any cause of action, the Released Parties’ liability will be limited to the actual out-of-pocket costs associated with participating in the Contest, and in no event shall the Released Parties be liable for attorneys’ fees. YOU WAIVE ANY RIGHTS OR CLAIMS TO INDIRECT, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, WHETHER FORESEEABLE OR NOT AND WHETHER BASED ON NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSIONS OF LIABILITY, SO THE ABOVE MAY NOT APPLY TO ALL ENTRANTS.
IF YOU ARE A CALIFORNIA RESIDENT, YOU WAIVE ANY AND ALL RIGHTS UNDER SECTION 1542 OF THE CIVIL CODE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, WHICH PROVIDES AS FOLLOWS: “A GENERAL RELEASE DOES NOT EXTEND TO CLAIMS WHICH THE CREDITOR DOES NOT KNOW OR SUSPECT TO EXIST IN HIS FAVOR AT THE TIME OF EXECUTING THE RELEASE, WHICH IF KNOWN BY HIM MUST HAVE MATERIALLY AFFECTED HIS SETTLEMENT WITH THE DEBTOR.”
13. Disputes. To the extent permitted by applicable law, by entering the Contest, you agree that any and all disputes, claims, and causes of action arising out of the Contest or any prize awarded shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by the appropriate federal or state court located in San Francisco, California. All issues and questions concerning these Official Rules, your rights and obligations, or Sponsor’s rights and obligations shall be governed by the laws of the State of California, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules.
14. General Conditions. In the event that the operation, security, or administration of the Contest is impaired in any way for any reason, Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, suspend, modify, and/or cancel the Contest and, if feasible, select a potential winner from among eligible, salvageable, and non- suspect entries received on or before the termination date. Inclusion in such selection process shall be each entrant’s sole and exclusive remedy under such circumstances. Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any individual it finds to be tampering with the operation of the Contest or to be acting in violation of these Official Rules or in a disruptive manner. Any attempt by any person to undermine the operation of the Contest may be a violation of criminal and civil law, and, should such an attempt be made, Sponsors reserves the right to seek damages from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law. Sponsor’s failure to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that or any other provision. In the event of a dispute as to any entry, the authorized account holder of the account used to enter will be deemed to be the entrant. The potential winner may be required to provide identification sufficient to show that he/she is the authorized account holder. Proof of uploading an entry or Image does not constitute proof of entry. In the event that an entry is confirmed to have been erroneously deleted, lost or destroyed, entrant’s sole remedy shall be another entry into the Contest. If any provision these Official Rules is held to be invalid or unenforceable, such provision shall be struck, and the remaining provisions shall be enforced.
15. Results. For the results, go to bankofthewest.com/change on or after March 16, 2020.
