Local 10 has some exciting news to share! The Eco Hero contest is back and we are thrilled to announce our most ambitious destination yet: AUSTRALIA!
One lucky high school winner and their parent or guardian will embark on this amazing adventure with Local 10 news anchor Kristi Krueger and Zoo Miami’s Ron Magill this summer. Could it be you or a high school student you know?
Local 10 is looking for an Eco Hero who is making a difference in their school and community. We want to meet the teen who perhaps is making strides in getting their peers more involved in saving the environment, cleaning our waterways or just spreading the word on how to be more environmentally friendly.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime trip worth approximately $50,000 for one very lucky high schooler and their chaperone.
The winner will travel to Australia for two weeks with the team from June 14th through June 30th and our adventures will be turned into a prime-time special. First stop, the city of Melbourne where we will hit the famous Melbourne Zoo and get up close with some of its beloved animals. We will also see the beautiful sights from Ayers Rock and even snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef. A stop in Sydney is included and so much more!
Previous Eco Hero destinations have included The Amazon, Antarctica, Machu Picchu, Canada and the Florida Wildlife Corridor. Eco Hero: Down Under is an amazing opportunity for any young environmentalist! Submissions are open through January 31st.
Download this form to nominate yourself or someone you know. We will announce the winner in March. Good luck and stay tuned!
OFFICIAL RULES FOR CONTEST
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. A PURCHASE WILL NOT IMPROVE ONE’S CHANCES OF WINNING: THIS CONTEST IS NOT INTENDED TO BE USED FOR GAMBLING PURPOSES. IF IT IS DETERMINED THAT A PARTICIPANT IS USING THE CONTEST FOR GAMBLING PURPOSES, HE/SHE WILL BE DISQUALIFIED.
The Eco-Hero contest is open only to Florida residents within the Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe County viewing area. Employees of WPLG, Inc. and its affiliates, which are owned by Berkshire Hathaway (“Sponsor”), and members of their immediate families (spouse, parents, children, and siblings and their spouses) are not eligible. Void where prohibited.
HOW TO ENTER: Adults, ages 18 and older, can nominate high school students enrolled in Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe County schools. The nominated high school students must have a proven record of volunteerism in environmental causes. In an essay of 500 words or less, nominators may describe the work the nominated student has performed to address environmental issues and provide a path to solutions. The essay must include the nominee’s name, school name, school address and grade level, along with nominee phone number and email. The nominator must also include their name, phone number and email address. All nominations may be scanned and submitted via email to Ron Magill (rmagill@miamidade.gov) at Zoo Miami from January 13, 2025 until 11:59 p.m. January 31, 2025. A select panel of five judges from Zoo Miami and the Zoo Miami Foundation will evaluate each submission and select the top five finalists. Those top five finalists will be interviewed by WPLG Local 10 and their interviews will be broadcast during WPLG Local 10 newscasts.
The voting period is from February 28, 2025, through 11:59 p.m. March 14, 2025. Those voting go to Local10.com and click on the Eco-Hero Voting tab to link to the registration page and select the finalist of choice. The WPLG Local 10 viewers’ selections/votes will be included with a select panel of judges votes from Zoo Miami and the Zoo Miami Foundation to determine the Grand Prize Winner. WPLG Local 10 viewers’ votes will represent 25%, while each of the five judges of the select committee will represent 15%, when combined together to determine the Grand Prize Winner . One winner will be named the Local 10 Eco-Hero on March 17, 2025. The winner will be notified by telephone or email within 48 hours after the end of the drawing. All prizes are non-transferable. No cash or other substitutions are allowed. Final results of Eco-Hero voting are solely determined and verified by Zoo Miami.
Zoo Miami is not responsible for any submissions that are delayed, lost or damaged prior to their arrival at the zoo.
Only timely submitted entries will be eligible to win.
ALTERNATIVE METHODS OF ENTRY: As an alternative to entering pursuant to the paragraph above, nominators may enter by delivering the essay, along with nominee’s name, school name, school address, grade level, and nominee phone number and email. The nominator must also include their name, phone number and email address all legibly hand written or typed to Zoo Miami, C/O Ron Magill, Eco Hero Wild Florida,12400 SW 152 Street, Miami, FL 33177 or the legibly written or typed essay may be mailed to: Zoo Miami, C/O Ron Magill, Eco Hero Wild Florida,12400 SW 152 Street, Miami, FL 33177. Entries submitted by this alternative method must be received by Zoo Miami, Inc. by March 14, 2025.
ENTRY CONSTITUTES PERMISSION TO PUBLISH: Any information submitted by the entrant on the essay may be broadcast on WPLG, Inc. television programs, local10.com or in any other form of media, at any time and for any length of time, including but not limited to publication for any marketing, advertising or other form of promotion for this contest or similar future contest by WPLG, Inc., and such broadcast or publication does not entitle the entrant or any other person to any form of compensation. Each entrant shall hold the Sponsor harmless from claims of any third party relating to the broadcast or publication by WPLG, Inc. of any information provided by the entrant in any form of media, including but not limited to publication on WPLG, Inc. Local 10 News or on its website local10.com.
SELECTION OF WINNERS /ELIGIBILITY AND PRIZE:
Entry Period:
Only one (1) entry per person. All submissions must be received by 11:59 p.m. January 31, 2025, to be eligible for the contest. No mass-produced or photocopied entries will be accepted. Entries that are incomplete, illegible or damaged are void and will not be accepted or eligible. Only legible and complete entries will be accepted and eligible. Sponsor is not responsible for misdirected, lost, late or damaged entries. All entries become the property of the Sponsor and will not be acknowledged or returned.
Voting Period:
Only one vote per valid and active email and IP address per person per day is allowed. If an entry receives multiple and/or irregular votes or multiple votes from the same user or users, including but not limited to, votes generated by a robotic, programmed, script, macro, other automated means or other source, Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify the votes and/or the art contestant in its sole discretion. Any participant suspected of using a proxy for voting, concealing one’s true identity, registering in the name of a fictitious person or registering in the name of a real person without such person’s authorization will be disqualified. All registration information submitted by voters must be valid. Automated voting is not allowed and such votes will be disqualified. Any individual or organization found employing third-party resources, whether domestic or abroad, for the purpose of creating multiple registrations or generating votes in violation of these rules, either automatically or manually, will be immediately disqualified. Votes may not be sold, bought or paid for. All voting must follow these Official Rules.
The winner will be announced on WPLG, Inc., Local 10 News on March 17, 2025. If the Sponsor is unable to locate a given winner, an alternate winner will be selected by the next highest number of votes. All prizes are non-transferable. No cash or other substitutions are allowed.
DISCLAIMER: By entering this contest, the winner assumes all liability for any injury or damages caused or claimed to be caused by participation in the contest and/or the acceptance and/or use of any prize and releases the Sponsor and each of its respective owners, affiliates, officers, directors and employees, from any such liability. Entry constitutes permission (except where prohibited by law) to use winner’s name and address for purposes of advertising, promotion and publicity without compensation. Winner is responsible for payment of all taxes associated with receipt of any prize.
MISCELLANEOUS: Odds of winning depend upon the number of eligible entries. Sponsor reserves the right to withdraw the transmission of this promotion and award the prizes from among the eligible entries received prior to the date of the withdrawal. Entrants agree to abide by these Official Rules and by the decisions of the judges, whose decisions are final. Failure to comply with these rules may result in disqualification from this promotion. Sponsor reserves the right to permanently disqualify from this promotion any person it believes has violated these rules.
If for any reason the contest is not capable of being conducted as planned due to any cause beyond the control of Sponsor, including but not limited to any event or cause which corrupts or affects the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of the promotion, Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the contest and disqualify any individual who may have caused any such problem. Sponsor assumes no responsibility for any theft or destruction, unauthorized access to, or alteration of entries. Sponsor assumes no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications line failure, theft or destruction, unauthorized access to, or alteration of entries. Sponsor is not responsible for any problem or technical malfunctions of any telephone network or lines, computer online systems, servers or provider, computer equipment, software, failure of any entry to be received by Sponsor on account of technical problems or delays, including any injury or damage to participant’s or any other person’s computer related to or resulting from participation or downloading any materials in this contest. CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT BY ANY PERSON TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEB SITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THIS CONTEST IS A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES FROM ANY SUCH PERSON TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.
If a dispute arises regarding who submitted an entry, the entry will be deemed submitted by the person in whose name the entry was made.
By entering this contest, each entrant agrees that (i) any and all disputes, claims, and causes of action arising out of or in connection with this contest, the drawing or the prize awarded, shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action; (ii) any and all claims, judgments and awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, including costs, directly or indirectly associated with entering this contest, but in no event will attorneys’ fees be awarded or recoverable; and (iii) under no circumstances will any entrant be permitted to obtain any award for, and entrant hereby knowingly and expressly waives all rights to, any damages other than actual out-of-pocket expenses.
The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of these rules shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision. In the event that any provision is determined to be invalid or otherwise unenforceable or illegal, these rules shall otherwise remain in effect and shall be construed in accordance with their terms as if the invalid or illegal provision were not contained herein. IN NO EVENT SHALL SPONSOR BE LIABLE FOR ANY CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, EVEN IF IT HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF THE DAMAGES. IN ANY EVENT THE MAXIMUM AGGREGATE LIABILITY OF SPONSOR TO ANY PERSON DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY RELATING TO THIS CONTEST, PROMOTION OR THE AWARD, USE OR ENJOYMENT OF ANY PRIZE SHALL NOT EXCEED THE SUM OF $10.00.
WPLG, Inc., local10.com, and the WPLG, Inc. and WPLG, Local 10 News logo, are respective trademarks of Berkshire Hathaway and are registered in the U.S.
WINNER’S LIST: The winner will be announced on WPLG, Inc. Local 10 News on March 17, 2025.