The Imagination Project

The Sun-Times loves Chicago-area students. We know that our city’s kids are brilliant and bold, vibrant and visionary. And with more time at home, they are probably looking for new ways to unleash their creativity.

So we launched The Imagination Project.

This past April, we invited Chicago-area elementary, middle and high school students to submit their best visual creations to our new art contest .

Because we are all looking for reasons to smile, the theme of the first season of The Imagination Project was Brighter Days.

See some of our winning submissions now!

We were so impressed with students’ creativity that we launched the second installment of the program — The Imagination Project: Short Story Edition.

Chicago-area elementary, middle and high school students were invited to submit short stories for a chance to be published in the Sun-Times. Our theme for this season of the project was Heroism.

Following the successful short story contest, we launched the third installment of the program — The Imagination Project: Chalk Art Contest.

We invited Chicago-area elementary, middle and high school students to submit their best chalk creations inspired by our theme, Animals and Nature, for the chance to win great prizes.

See some of our winning chalk creations now!

Now we are thrilled to launch the fourth installment of the program — The Imagination Project: Snowman Art Contest!

Chicago-area students are invited to submit photos of their best snowmen — whether they are sculpted, painted or drawn.

Our team of judges will select elementary, middle and high school winners from the submissions whose chilly creations will be featured in the Sun-Times. The winning artists will also receive a prize!

Students can submit their snowmen from February 14-28.

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Official Contest Rules

The “Imagination Project” Snowman Art Contest

1. HOW TO ENTER: NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN A PRIZE. A purchase will not increase your chances of winning. The “Imagination Project” Snowman Art Contest (the “Contest”) is being organized by Sun-Times Media, LLC (together, with its parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, contractors, directors, officers, employees and agents, the “Sun-Times”). The Contest will begin on Sunday, February 14, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. and end on Sunday, February 28, 2021 at 4:30 p.m. (“Contest Period”). During the Contest Period, students currently enrolled in elementary, middle school or high school are encouraged to enter the Contest by having their parent or legal guardian go to the web site located at http://www.suntimes.com/imagination , completely fill out the required information and submit a file that is 25 MB or smaller of the student’s snowman based on the contest theme. All submissions must be a student’s original work, created solely by the student. All required fields on the online entry form must be complete and accompanied by a valid email address for the student’s parent or legal guardian. Limit of three (3) entries per student. All entries must be received by 4:30 p.m. Central Time on February 28, 2021. Any entrant who attempts to enter with multiple email addresses under multiple identities or uses any device or artifice to register/play multiple times will be disqualified and forfeits any and all prizes won, in Sun-Times’ discretion. False or deceptive entries or acts will render the entrant ineligible.

Sun-Times is not responsible for late, lost, delayed, unclear, incomplete, misdirected, or ineligible entries, which will be disqualified, or for technical, hardware, or software malfunctions of any kind, lost or unavailable network connections, or failed, incorrect, incomplete, inaccurate, garbled or delayed electronic communications caused by the sender, or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Contest which may limit the ability to play or participate, or by any human error that may occur in the processing of the entries in the Contest. The computer clock of Sun-Times is the official timekeeping device of the Contest.

2. ELIGIBILITY: The Contest is open to legal residents of Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin who are currently enrolled in elementary, middle school or high school, except employees of Sun-Times and relatives of and those living in the same household as such employees. For the purpose of this Contest, relatives are defined as spouse, mother, father, in-laws, grandmother, grandfather, brother, sister, children and grandchildren. All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply. Void where prohibited.

3. SELECTION OF WINNERS: On or about March 1, 2021 Sun-Times or its designated judges (whose decisions are final) will select all winners, who will be thereafter notified by phone or email. If the winners do not respond to the notification, or if a Contest communication is rejected or returned as undeliverable or a winner cannot be reached after a reasonable attempt has been made by Sun-Times (as determined by Sun-Times in its sole discretion), such winner may be disqualified and an alternate winner may be selected from all eligible entries. Upon disqualification, no Prize or other compensation will be given.

4. PRIZES: During the Contest Period, there will be up to nine (9) total Prizes awarded based on originality and creativity, and relation to the theme “snowmen,” all as judged by the Sun-Times in its sole discretion.

Each Prize consists of one (1) Chicago Bears Winter hat (value: $25.00). Prizes cannot be exchanged, transferred or re-sold. Approximate retail value of each Prize is $25.00. Approximate retail value of all of possible Prizes is $225. Actual values may vary. Winners will not receive the difference between actual and approximate retail value. Winners will not be allowed to select Prize. Failure to use the Prize after it has been accepted by a winner will not excuse the winner from having to pay taxes on the Prize accepted.

In addition to receiving a Prize, each Winner may be identified by name, school name, and/or grade, and have his or her winning work of art featured in an upcoming print and/or digital edition of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. All Prizes legitimately claimed will be awarded. No transfers, Prize substitutions or cash redemptions will be made. In addition, Sun-Times reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to substitute a Prize (or portion thereof) of comparable or greater value whether due to the unavailability of a Prize or Prize component, or for any other reason. Prizes are non-refundable and must be accepted as awarded. No more than the stated number of Prizes will be awarded.

Sun-Times will not replace any lost, mutilated, or stolen tickets, vouchers, certificates or Prizes. If any winner cannot redeem the Prize for any reason, such winner will forfeit his or her Prize and Sun-Times will not be obligated to provide any sort of substitute Prize or compensation. All state, federal, and local taxes are the sole responsibility of the winner, regardless if a Prize is redeemed. All departure taxes, insurance, fees and fuel surcharges (including, airport departure taxes, airport arrival taxes, airline fuel surcharges, and tour-guard insurance) are the sole responsibility of a winner and must be paid by winner.

5. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY/REQUIREMENTS: By entering entrant agrees to release, defend, hold harmless and indemnify Sun-Times Media, LLC and its respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, contractors, directors, officers, employees and agents against any and all liability, damages or causes of action (however named or described), with respect to or arising out of any injuries, losses, or damages of any kind caused by the acceptance, possession, use or misuse of a Prize awarded in the Contest, including but not limited to any claims for damage to property, personal injury, death or claims based on defamation, rights of privacy, rights of publicity or merchandise delivery. False or deceptive entries or acts will render the entrant ineligible. By entering, entrant further agrees that (a) under no circumstances will entrant be permitted to obtain awards for, and participant hereby waives all rights to claim, punitive, incidental, consequential, or any other damages, other than for actual out-of-pocket expenses; (b) all causes of action arising out of or connected with this Contest, or any Prize awarded, shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action; and (c) any and all claims, judgments, and award shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, excluding attorneys’ fees and court costs. By entering entrant agrees to fully release Facebook and acknowledges that the promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by or associated with Facebook or Instagram. WARNING: ANY ATTEMPT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THIS CONTEST MAY BE A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, SUN-TIMES RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES OR OTHER REMEDIES FROM ANY SUCH PERSON(S) RESPONSIBLE FOR SUCH ATTEMPT TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. Sun-Times is not responsible for any printing or typographical errors in these Official Rules or any other materials associated with the Contest.

By entering this Contest and accepting the Prize, each winner agrees to maintain his or her behavior in accordance with all applicable laws and generally accepted social practices in connection with participation in any Contest activity, including use of the Prize. Winner understands and agrees that Sun-Times has the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any winner from use of the Prize at any time if his or her ’s behavior at any point is disruptive or may or does cause damage to person, property or the reputation of Sun-Times or otherwise violates the policies of the Prize providers.

At Sun-Times’ sole discretion, each winner will be required to sign and return a claim form and an affidavit of eligibility and liability/publicity release within ten (10) days of receipt or his or her Prize may be forfeited. In the event of noncompliance with any of the foregoing requirements, the Prize may be forfeited. All Prize claims, affidavits of eligibility and liability/publicity releases are subject to verification by Sun-Times.

Entrants enter at their own risk and Sun-Times is not responsible for and shall not be liable for any condition caused by events beyond its control that may cause the Contest to be disrupted or corrupted. Failure to comply with these Official Rules may result in disqualification from this Contest. Sun-Times reserves the right to revise these Official Rules and/or to permanently disqualify any person it believes has violated these Official Rules.

6. GENERAL RULES: By entering the Contest (except where prohibited by law), entrants consent to the use of their work of written art, as well as their names, pictures, likenesses, voices, biographical data, and/or any information contained in their entry, in the Chicago Sun-Times, as well as any related advertising, promotion and marketing materials throughout the world in any medium now or hereafter invented, including on the internet, by Sun-Times and third party marketing entities, without additional compensation, notification, review, or approval. Sun-Times’ decisions will be final in all matters related to this Contest, the interpretation of these Official Rules and awarding of the Prizes. Sun-Times reserves the right in its sole discretion, at any time and for any reason, to cancel, modify or suspend these Official Rules, including those rules regarding the duration of the Contest Period or ultimate award of any Prize. DO NOT call Sun-Times as this Contest will not be discussed by phone, except at Sun-Times’ sole discretion.

7. CHOICE OF LAW/VENUE. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of the Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of entrant and Sun-Times in connection with the Contest, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Illinois, U.S.A., without giving effect to the conflict of laws rules thereof, and any matters or proceedings shall take place in the State of Illinois, in the City of Chicago.

8. WINNERS’ LIST: For the name of the winners, send a legal-size, self-addressed, stamped envelope to: “The Imagination Project: Snowman Art Contest” Winners, 30 N. Racine Avenue, Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60607. Requests must be received no later than three (3) months following the close of the Contest.

9. SPONSOR: Sun-Times Media, LLC, 30 N. Racine Avenue, Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60607