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The Parks For Life Challenge is a Game of Skill, Not A Game Of Chance

STEP 1: Sign Up

• Organize a team of two or three members. If there are four or more in your family or group, create additional teams.
• Come up with a great team name. Can’t think of one? We’ll help you find the perfect team name using our Team Name Generator during sign up.
• Register your team for the game on our Sign Up page, and read and agree to the Game Rules.
• “Like” and “Follow” the Parks for Challenge Facebook page and check it regularly.  We communicate with you weekly with Benchmark Challenges, new adventures, changes/updates to rules, and answer questions from Teams.

STEP 2: Create a Team Flag

• Make your own flag or use the FlagMaker 5000 to create an awesome, personalized flag for your team. All flags must have “Summer 2018″ prominently on them along with your team name.
• After you create a flag, print it out. We recommend water proofing your flag so it doesn’t get wet.
• Team Flags must appear in each of the pictures or videos submitted in order to determine that the photo is current.

STEP 3: On to the Adventures!

• We’ve developed a List of Adventures for you to complete. Each have different point values assigned to them, and may be accomplished limited or unlimited times. Some may only be done at very specific places and/or times, while others can be done nearly anywhere in the Santa Clara County Parks System. Feel free to pick and choose; they’re not in any particular order.
• Be sure to “Capture” a photo or video of your team doing the adventure (see what’s required in Step 4). This constitutes “Proof” that you have completed the adventure.
• If you’ve done all the adventures in your area, or those left aren’t your cup of tea, no problem. We add to the list, regularly. Plus, you can suggest adventures or communicate with us at any time by emailing to: gamecoordinator@prk.sccgov.org. You may also message us on Facebook.
• There are just a few things we insist you do. First of all, please read over the rules below carefully. This will save you the headache of accidentally posting adventures incorrectly, and the heartache of having the Game Coordinators delete them. Next, please use good judgment, always follow park rules, and Tread Lightly. Finally, play safely, fairly, and with good sportsmanship. Now, get out there and enjoy some adventures!

STEP 4: Post and Submit Proofs

To submit Proof that you have correctly completed an Adventure:

• Post a photo or video on any one of these social media sites: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+ or YouTube. The page must be set to “public” so Game Coordinators can view the photos.
• Tag or caption the image with all of the following:
  1. The hashtag “#Parks4Life18”
  2. The Adventure #
  3. Team Name
• Login to www.parksforlifechallenge.org . Click on your My Account page to submit proof.

1. Select Adventure.
2. Paste link to the web page where your proof (photo or video taken showing selected adventure, team flag and teammate/s) is posted (e.g., Facebook, Twitter,  Instagram, Google+ and YouTube)
3. Click “Submit Proof”

Repeat step 4 to build your team’s point total! Teams with the most points are eligible to win prizes.

Parks for Life Challenge Game Coordinators audit posts regularly to ensure that Adventures have been completed appropriately. Points are awarded accordingly. Incomplete, incorrect, or fraudulent Proof will receive no points. Click Here to see an example of correctly posted Proof.

Rules of the Game

1. Teams may register to play the Parks for Life Challenge starting May 1^st, 2018.
2. Teams may only register online through the Parks for Life Challenge website.
3. A person may only be registered on one team at a time.
4. Late registrations will be accepted mid-game, however registering to play the game after the game has started will likely reduce your point accumulation and chances to win a prize. Don’t worry though…we have fun weekly challenges where you still have chances at winning great prizes!
5. Teams must be comprised of two to three players. Families of four (4) or more players may split into two or more teams.
6. Should the team captain quit “The Game”, the team must re-register with a new team captain, under a new team name, and forfeits any points accumulated to that point.
7. Should a team have two members and a  team member quits “The Game”, the Team Captain must recruit a new member or forfeit the game.
8. Should a two-person team desire to add a third team member, the team captain may email gamecoordinator@prk.sccgov.org.  To request the addition of a replacement or third team member, the team captain must provide the team name, the new team member’s first and last name, identify if the new team member is under 18 years old, and must state that the team captain accepts all conditions of “The Game” agreement for the new team member.
9. Should a team have three members and one quit “The Game”, the quitting team member’s spot cannot be filled by another person.  The team must play with the remaining two members.
10. Only persons who are registered as a team captain or team member may play “The Game”.
11. The team captain must be 18 years of age or older.
12. Registration for the game starts on May 1^st, 2018. The game starts and adventures must be completed between June 1^st, 2018 and August 31^st, 2018.
13. Parks for Life Challenge will specify an adventure’s point value when it is posted to “The Game” and that point value will not vary during the course of “The Game”.
14. Parks for Life Challenge will specify whether an adventure is limited or unlimited as to how many times it may be completed when it is posted to “The Game”. That point value will not vary during the course of “The Game”.
15. Parks for Life Challenge may add adventures to “The Game” at any time during “The Game”.

Key rules about creating a ‘proof’:

1. To qualify as Proof, the photo or video must include all members except for the member taking the photo/video. This means, if your team has three members, two members must be in every photo/video. There should be a nearly even rotation of who is taking the photo. If Game Coordinators consistently see one of the members is not present in the photos, they will consider that a pattern of a missing Team Member and delete submissions accordingly and at their discretion.
2. To build on the point above: If your team has two members, most times only one member will be in the photo. However, there needs to be a nearly even number of photos with each member. If most of the photos have only one of the two members, Game Coordinators will consider that a pattern of a missing Team Member and delete submissions accordingly and at their discretion.
3. For teams with small children who are too young to operate a camera: All photos must include the children. If you wish to include all members, remember that it is okay to take a “selfie” so long as every member is in the photo. Game Coordinators reserve the right to delete the submissions of photos that look like a Team Member is missing.
4. Team members are always welcome to write the Game Coordinators to clarify submissions that may look as though Team Members may be missing.
5. A rule about Adventure #1 – recruit a new team: The aim of this adventure is to spread the word about the Parks for Life Challenge and invite friends and family to participate with you in their own teams. The recruited team must establish that they are a legitimate team by: Registering their team, posting to their own page (teams may not share a social media page), and participating in at least five adventures. All five adventures must be completed in a Santa Clara County Park (no “rainy day” adventures may be completed to establish legitimacy).
6. Parks for Life Challenge reserves the right to update the rules of “The Game” at any time, and the game may be cancelled if the website is hacked, corrupted or a fair administration of the game cannot be achieved due to an internet virus, a hacked website, fraud or other events beyond the County’s control.
7. Parks for life Challenge players agree to participate fairly, ethically, and with a spirit of good sportsmanship. Players agree to complete adventures as described to the best of their ability, to only submit proof completed by themselves, and to act responsibly and civilly toward others and toward the places they visit. There is a fine line between strategizing to gain the most points for your efforts, and “gaming” or seeking out loopholes in the rules to gain extra points that would not be admissible otherwise. Not only does “gaming” not coincide with the mission of the Parks for Life Challenge, but it also serves as a major disservice to the teams who earned every point by playing fairly, ethically, logically, and with good sportsmanship.
8. Parks for Life Challenge Game Coordinator reserves the right to disqualify any team at any time, for just cause. The decision to disqualify is final.
9. In order for a team to earn points, the team must submit “Proof” of having completed an adventure.
10. Proof is an Internet link to a photograph or video that has been posted on a social medium, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google + or YouTube that contains: a photograph of the competing team’s flag, all team members with the exception of the one taking the photo, and the keyword or hashtag, “#Parks4Life18”. All team members must participate in an adventure for proof to be valid. Proof determined to have been participated by less than the entire team shall be deleted and points forfeited. ALL photos/videos, unless otherwise noted, need to have a minimum of one team member and flag in the photo/video to qualify for proof.  All posted adventures will not always have this reminder.
11. A social media page used to post adventures may only be used to post adventures for one team. One social media page cannot be shared by several teams.
12. “Selfies” with only one person in the photo are considered proof that only one team member is on an adventure and won’t be accepted. Only “selfies” with every team member will be accepted. All team members must be present for every single adventure.
13. Images or videos must not be derogatory, offensive, threatening, defamatory, libelous or contain inappropriate, indecent, sexual, profane, unlawful, discriminatory or hateful messages. The images may not contain third party advertising, slogans, logos, or trademarks that indicate sponsorship or endorsement by any third party. The Game Coordinator will delete any inappropriate videos or images, and may disqualify any team that posts inappropriate media.
14. Duplicate photos and videos may not be submitted for more than one adventure, unless otherwise allowed by a bonus or as specified within an adventure’s description. If a team submits duplicate proof for more than one adventure, the auditor will try to delete the points for the lesser valued adventure, when applicable.
15. Teams may make their own flag or use the online tool, FlagMaker 5000, on the Parks for Life Challenge website to create a personalized flag. The flag must include the words ” Summer 2018″, prominently in order to identify that the photo was taken during Summer 2018. The team name must also be on the flag.
16. To qualify for points, proof must be submitted to the Parks for Life Challenge website.
17. Proof cannot be submitted earlier than June 1^st, 2018, nor later than 11:59pm August 31^st, 2018 and must depict adventures that the Team completed between June 1^st, 2018 and August 31^st, 2018.
18. All adventures must be completed in Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department park lands only. Adventures taken in City Parks within Santa Clara County will not be awarded points, unless otherwise noted in the Adventure description.
19. Proof determined to have been manipulated (“Photoshopped”) is ineligible and the team will be disqualified to compete for prizes.
20. Proof submitted by teams in contention to win prizes will be audited regularly to ensure that the submitted photograph: shows the team flag, includes all members with the exception of the one taking the photo, depicts an adventure in Santa Clara County Parks, and that no attempt to manipulate, deceive or cheat has occurred.
21. Teams who are determined to have submitted false Proof of an adventure will be disqualified from the game. So keep it honest, and keep it fair. Adventures must be in Santa Clara County Parks, during the game period, and with all team members participating.
22. Teams do not have to be comprised of County of Santa Clara residents. However, all adventures must be completed in Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department park lands.
23. Teams are responsible for knowing and adhering to the rules of public and private lands on which they visit.
24. While the game is free to play, some adventures may require a parking, camping or park use fee. Teams can elect to park outside, and walk or bike into a park for free and still play the game and compete for prizes. There are enough adventures to still have a chance to win prizes and win the game without needing to pay for for-cost programs and events.
25. Teams are cautioned not to put themselves or anyone else at risk while attempting adventures.
26. Teams are advised to hike and recreate with a partner at all times.
27. Teams are requested to minimize their impact on the environment when recreating and “Tread Lightly“.
28. To ensure that no unfair advantage is given to any team, the Parks for Life Challenge Game Coordinator, will not communicate with or respond to queries from team captains and/or team members after August 31^st, 2018. During this time, the judges are reviewing results and determining winners. All team captains and members are advised to ask questions prior to August 31^st, 2018. Communication can be re-initiated after the game results have been posted.
29. Employees of the Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation Department and members of their immediate family may play “The Game” on their own time; however, employees of the Parks Department and their immediate families are ineligible to compete for the listed game prizes.

 

Standings and prizes

1. Grand Prizes will be awarded based on each team’s accumulated points for the entire season (June 1, 2018 – August 31, 2018).
2. Special Drawing Prizes will be awarded based on participants meeting certain “benchmarks” for the entire season (June 1, 2018 – August 31, 2018). How to compete for benchmark prizes will be prominently posted on the Parks For Life Challenge website and on Facebook.
3. End of Game – A prize for the most creative video will be awarded to a team who submits their top four videos for review. This will occur at the end of the game, and the judges are looking at these criteria: visual impact, originality, and style. This contest is not guaranteed and may not take place every season.
4. At the conclusion of the game, the Game Coordinator and at least two other park professionals appointed by the Game Coordinator will review the team scores, standings and proof for accuracy.
5. Within three weeks of the game’s conclusion, the winning teams with the most points will be posted on the Parks for Life Challenge website, and the winners will be notified by e-mail.
6. It is the responsibility of team captains to inform gamecoordinator@prk.sccgov.org of changes to his/her team’s email, phone number or street address. Parks for Life Challenge shall have no obligation to search for the team should the team’s contact information change, and any prize the team has won will be forfeited 30 days after the winners have been announced.
7. Any tie for prizes will be broken with a flip of a coin. If more than two teams are tied, the tie will be broken with a drawing in which each team is given one entry.
8. Winning teams may be asked to provide a mailing or shipping address to which any prize the team has won may be sent. In the alternative, the team Captain may be required to pick up any prize from the Parks Administration office.
9. If an address is not provided within 30 days of the request, or a prize is not picked up within 30 days of notification, the prize shall be forfeited.
10. The Parks for Life Challenge reserves the right to substitute prizes of similar value.
11. Winners of prizes are responsible for paying any taxes due and complying with all laws.
12. The judges’ determination of the winners is final.