IOWA CITY, IOWA – The next great, award-winning, rockumentary film or photo may be happening at a co-op near you. This September and October, individuals over the age of 18 are invited to submit short, up-to-2-minute videos or co-op themed photos in the My Co-op Rocks Video and Photo Contest, a nationwide competition in which food coop fans fire up their cameras and unleash their creativity to share all the reasons their coops rock. Submissions will be accepted online beginning Sept. 1 at www.MyCoopRocks.coop. More than $2,700 in prizes – including two new Apple iPad 2s, $500 co-op gift cards and Bloggie Duo HD cameras – will be awarded to the best videos and photos, determined by online voting.
Now in its third year, My Co-op Rocks has opened the contest to include photo entries. Co-op members, shoppers and staff across the country are asked to share their favorite co-op moments, memories and stories online. The contest is hosted by National Cooperative Grocers Association (NCGA) in celebration of the great food, qualities and quirks that make co-ops integral parts of their communities. Last year’s submissions and contest details can be found at www.MyCoopRocks.coop after Sept. 1.
Pumpkin portrait? Co-op-coming-of-age? Produce aisle landscape? Animal cracker adventure? No matter the genre, video and photo entries will be voted on by the general public to determine the winning submissions. All skill levels are welcome. Whether shooting with a cell phone or high-definition camera, entrants are encouraged to submit their video or photo with an original co-op-related theme.
“Grocery co-ops reflect the communities in which they reside,” said Robynn Shrader, chief executive officer for NCGA. “The contest lets the personality of each co-op’s membership shine, showing the diversity, creativity and passion for co-ops at our member stores and in our food co-op community as a whole.”
Individuals can submit and vote on videos and photos Sept. 1 through Oct. 31 with voting continuing through Nov. 30. The public will determine three winners in video category and three in the photography category, based on voting. Winners will be announced on Dec. 15. In each category, first place winners receive an Apple iPad 2, second place winners receive a $500 co-op gift card and third place winners receive a Bloggie Duo HD camera.
Each entrant is eligible for one prize only but individuals may submit as many videos and photos as they like. For the official rules or to enter the contest, visit www.MyCoopRocks.coop.
About National Cooperative Grocers Association
National Cooperative Grocers Association (NCGA), founded in 1999, is a business services cooperative for retail food co-ops located throughout the United States. NCGA helps unify food co-ops in order to optimize operational and marketing resources, strengthen purchasing power, and ultimately offer more value to natural food co-op owners and shoppers everywhere. Our 122 members and associate co-ops operate nearly 160 storefronts in 34 states with combined annual sales over $1.3 billion. NCGA is a winner of the dotCoop Global Awards for Cooperative Excellence in recognition of the application of cooperative values and principles to drive cooperative and business success. For a map of NCGA member and associate co-ops, visit www.ncga.coop. To learn more about food co-ops, visit www.strongertogether.coop or www.go.coop.
Source: National Cooperative Grocers Association