Community Corner

Your Holiday Decorations Could Win $100,000 for Local Schools

Deck The House is Patch's latest national contest. Twenty-four finalists will win $500 toward their December electric bills, while the top prize winner will win $100,000 for their local school district.

NEW YORK, NY – December 8, 2011 – Patch, AOL’s hyperlocal news, information and engagement platform, will give towns across America a reason to sparkle with “Deck The House” (#deckthehouse), a home decoration contest where residents will compete to win $100,000 to support their local public schools.  As an added incentive to get glowing, Patch will pay $500 toward the December electric bill for 24 finalists.  Residents of Patch communities can begin submitting pictures or video of  their “decked out” homes through their local Patch sites beginning today.

With one click, users will be able to vote now through December 26 on the Best Decked House in their neighborhood, the winner of which will represent their town nationally.   Once local voting concludes, Patch judges will narrow the winners from all 860 towns down to 24 finalists, who will win $500 toward their December electric bills.  The top 24 submissions will be unveiled December 30, and Patch users will vote for the grand prize-winning submission to be announced on January 9, 2012. Patch will donate $100,000 to public schools in the winner’s town.

“The tradition of decorating homes for the holidays brings neighborhoods together, and Patch is all about community engagement,” says Warren Webster, president of Patch Media.  “We’re especially pleased that local public schools will benefit from their town’s holiday spirit - we hope that will motivate our users to get creative with their holiday decorations!”

Patch has conducted two national contests to date, a Mother’s Day "Spaliday" sweepstakes in May of 2011, to give Patch moms a welcome spa retreat from their hectic lives; the promotion drew nearly 30,000 entries, and “Patch’s Little Pumpkins Costume Challenge With Heidi Klum” for Halloween, in which the superstar selected the most creative costume of the season from thousands of photos submitted through the Patch community.

For official rules and “Deck the House” guidelines please visit deckthehouse.patch.com.


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