Special Chefs - Contest Rules

1. Eligibility and Requirements of Entry
The Special Chefs Blue Ribbon and Recipe Contest is limited to adults over the age of twenty-one, who are legal U.S. residents, and who have a developmental disability (as defined by the current AAMR definition of mental retardation). There is no cost to enter the contest. Individuals must complete all areas of the Special Chefs contest application form. This includes the signature of not only the entrant, but also the signature of a care giver or legal guardian if the entrant is not his/her own legal guardian. The care giver or legal guardian must be over the age of twenty-one, must be a legal U.S. resident, and must be publicly recognized as the care giver or legal guardian of the applicant. The entrant and care giver or legal guardian must accept the terms, conditions and responsibilities of the Contest Rules and the Upcoming Contest guidelines in order to be considered for participation. Contest applications which are not signed or are incomplete will not be considered.

Completed application forms can be submitted online at: www.specialchefs.org or through the mail at: Special Chefs Inc., Home of the Inspiration Kitchen, 456 Frontage Road, Suite 9, Northfield, IL 60093.

Recipes must:

Be original (not previously published in any medium and must not have won prizes or awards in any other contests). However, taking an existing recipe and adding or deleting three or more ingredients or changing the cooking or preparation method is considered original.
Conform to the contest theme and serving parameters as specified in the Upcoming Contest Bulletin.
Be completed as part of a Special Chefs contest application form.
Be received by the date specified in the Upcoming Contest Bulletin.

Enter as many times as you wish; but only include one contest application form in each submission. All recipes received become the property of Special Chefs and will not be returned. Recipes will be judged by an independent, impartial food panel on a variety of parameters including creativity, completeness, ease-of-preparation, and taste. The judges' decisions are final.

2. Finalist Notification and Responsibilities
Based on the judges' decisions, a specified number of finalists will be selected (designated in the Upcoming Contest Bulletin). Each finalist will be notified by mail, along with his or her care giver or legal guardian. Travel arrangements for each finalist and one traveling companion per finalist will be coordinated by Special Chefs. Additionally, any unique requirements as well as preferences (such as cooking equipment, ingredients, etc.) will be determined and appropriately supplied by Special Chefs. Finally, Special Chefs will mail an affidavit of eligibility, copyright assignment, and liability/publicity release to each finalist. The finalist must sign each of these in order to participate in the cook-off. In addition, the care giver or legal guardian must also execute these documents in order for the applicant to participate as a finalist in the cook-off. An affiliated social service agency may also be asked to execute these documents. Failure to sign (by all required parties) and return these documents by a specified date to Special Chefs will cause disqualification, and the applicant may no longer participate as a finalist.

3. Contest Cook-off
Each of the finalists, along with a traveling companion, will travel (at the expense of Special Chefs) to the contest cook-off location. The finalists will prepare their recipe entry (with the assistance of the traveling companion, if desired) before an impartial panel of judges who are food experts and are appreciative of the unique talents of the entrants. Adjustments will be made to ensure the finalists' comfort and privacy during the final recipe preparation. Prizes (which will be announced via the Special Chefs Web site and also in the Upcoming Contest Bulletin) will be awarded to each finalist. In the event of a tie, duplicate prizes will be awarded.

4. Travel
The trip to the contest cook-off includes auto mileage reimbursement, or round trip coach airfare from the airport nearest the finalist's home, or round trip accommodations via train or bus transportation (the choice being at the sole discretion of Special Chefs following input from the finalist and care giver/legal guardian). Single or double occupancy hotel accommodations (as appropriate for the finalist and traveling companion) for two nights are also included, as are all ground transportation and allowances or cash for meal reimbursement for the two day trip. All other expenses not specified are solely the finalist's responsibility. Special Chefs is not responsible for the safety or protection of finalists and their traveling companions, or for their property, during any phase of the contest or travel. Special Chefs ensures that all appropriate measures to guarantee safety and comfort at the cook-off location will be pursued and implemented.

5. Additional Conditions
Special Chefs is not responsible for lost, late, illegible, misdirected, incomplete, mutilated or postage-due entries. All prizes will be awarded and are nontransferable. No substitutions or cash redemptions are permitted except at the discretion of Special Chefs. Taxes are the sole responsibility of the winner. Employees and immediate families of employees of Special Chefs, its sponsors, and its advertising and promotional agencies are not eligible. Contest void where prohibited by law. Participating sponsors (past, current, prospective) are not responsible for any explicit consideration in connection with the Special Chefs contest, or for information, products, services, and prizes distributed to finalists and traveling companions.

6. Blue Ribbon Winners' Circle
For a list of winners, visit the Special Chefs Web site: www.specialchefs.org, or send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to: Special Chefs Inc., Blue Ribbon Winners' Circle, 456 Frontage Road, Suite 9, Northfield, IL 60093.

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