Terms & Conditions
(Program Agreement)

The mission of MS Leaders of Hope is to honor the ideas, creativity, and effort of people living with MS as well as to acknowledge the inspiration they provide to others. MS Leaders of Hope is open to people living with MS and their caregivers.

TO ENTER

• All entries submitted for an MS Leaders of Hope award must be entered into the approved nomination form.
• Completed entries must be submitted no later than 5:00 PM ET on September 15, 2004 to be considered valid.
• Each entrant must select a category in which they wish to compete, and must answer each of the three questions relating to their idea as well as respond to all questions on the Nomination Form, including indicating their consent to the terms of the Program Agreement, in order to be considered eligible for advancing to the semi-final round of the MS Leaders of Hope awards program.
• You will receive an email confirming your entry shortly after completing and submitting the online nomination form. This email is intended to confirm receipt of your entry into the MS Leaders of Hope awards program and receipt by MS Leaders of Hope of a valid email address for the entry. Please do not delete this email – you must click on the link in the email in order to successfully complete your entry and become entered in the MS Leaders of Hope awards program.
  

 
SELECTION OF WINNERS:

• Each entry into MS Leaders of Hope is first evaluated to make certain that all questions have been satisfactorily completed.
• Entries within each specific category will be judged together.
• Each entry will be judged on originality, creativity and inspirational impact.
• Semi-finalists and finalists will be selected from all qualified nominations (please see the final two bullets of the “TO ENTER” section above to determine how to qualify your nomination).
• Fifteen (15) semi-finalists per award category will be selected by an impartial Academy of Judges comprised of educators, health care professionals, and communications experts who will evaluate each entry and determine the semi-finalists.
• Semi-finalists will be notified via a special mailing sent to their stated address. Each semi-finalist candidate will be required to read and sign the documents mailed to them and return them in the envelope provided, within the timeframe stated, to advance in the MS Leaders of Hope awards program.
• A group of specialized MS patients and representatives from the National MS Society and MS World will review and evaluate the semi-finalist entries to determine the finalists for the MS Leaders of Hope awards program.
• Three (3) finalists per award category will be selected from the pool of semi-finalists.
• The decisions of the judges are final and binding.
• Finalists will be notified and will be entered in the final round of judging. Winners will be determined by online voting open to anyone wishing to participate.
• Online voting on this website will take place between October 4 and October 26, 2004.
• Winners will be notified by November 1, 2004.
• Winners will be announced on the MS Leaders of Hope website on November 8, 2004.

 
PRIZES:

• MS Leaders of Hope reserves the right to publish any entry on this website as part of a growing library of powerful and creative ideas for coping with MS.
• The judges will select the most creative and inspirational idea in each of the six chosen categories (one winner per category for a total of six winners). Each winner will be awarded a $1,000 cash prize as well as a trip for two (2) including transportation, lodging for two (2) nights, and meals to the National MS Society National Conference in Denver, CO on November 10, 2004.

 
ELIGIBILITY:

• To enter MS Leaders of Hope, you must be a person living with MS or be a caregiver for a person or people with MS.
• Entrants into MS Leaders of Hope must be at least 18 years of age at the time of their entry to be eligible.
• Entries with incomplete entry forms are not eligible to win an MS Leaders of Hope award.
  

 
GENERAL:

• By successfully submitting an entry (as specified in the “TO ENTER” section above) in the MS Leaders of Hope awards program, the entrant agrees to assign to the sponsors of MS Leaders of Hope all copyrights relating to their idea and, as such, to permit the use of their information by Biogen Idec for any and all purposes, including print, website and all other forms of media in accordance with the below stated privacy policy. Biogen Idec will strive to notify you prior to any such use.
• All winners should be prepared to attend the National MS Society National Conference in Denver, CO on November 10, 2004 to receive their award.
• All winners agree to be bound by these official rules and to conform to all federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
• All winners will be required to sign affidavits of eligibility and liability/publicity releases.
• Responsibility for lost, late or misdirected entries remains solely with the entrant.
• This offer is void where prohibited.
• The MS Leaders of Hope awards program is not a lottery.
• Biogen Idec reserves the right to cancel the MS Leaders of Hope awards program at any time and for any reason.

 
Disclaimer and Privacy Policy to participate in MS Leaders of Hope

• In order to participate in MS Leaders of Hope, you are required to provide your personal and contact information, as well as certain information relating to your disease therapy.
• Information provided will remain confidential in accordance with Biogen Idec’s privacy policy.

 
WHAT INFORMATION IS COLLECTED

• In order to participate, we require certain information from you.
• We collect information indicating whether you are a person with multiple sclerosis or a caregiver.
• We collect contact information, including your name, phone number, street address, city, state, zip code and e-mail address.
• We also collect your date of diagnosis, your current MS drug therapy, and whether you've taken any drug therapy for MS in the past.
• Finally, we collect your responses to the MS Leaders of Hope idea nomination questions.

 
HOW THE INFORMATION IS USED

• A panel of trained and experienced impartial judges will use this information to understand, evaluate and recognize the most impactful ideas submitted for the MS Leaders of Hope awards program awards.
• Biogen Idec respects the information you submit. We will never use the information you submit for personal reporting; this information is used only for general reporting purposes to generate site statistics.
• Biogen Idec collects your e-mail address and will send you emails only about the MS Leaders of Hope awards program this year and in subsequent years.

 
As a condition of entry into MS Leaders of Hope, you must indicate, by clicking on the box provided on the Nomination Form, that you have read and agree to this Program Agreement.