the 2024 Find the buoy holiday scavenger hunt

Contest runs Saturday, November 23 - TUESday, December 31, 2024

The Lobster Trap Tree at the Town Docks is returning for another year and so is the Find the Buoy Holiday Scavenger Hunt! The Stonington Borough Merchants Association, with buoys on loan from The Ocean Chamber of Commerce, is excited to announce that four winners will be drawn from postcards received and contacted in January 2025.

How to enter

1. Visit the Borough between 11/23/24 and 12/31/24 to pick up a postcard at the Stonington Free Library or other participating buoy locations (full list above)
2. Get your postcard stamped at each of the 12 participating buoy locations
3. Drop your completed, stamped postcard at any buoy location by 12/31/24

Don’t forget to follow @stoningtonboroughCT on Instagram and Facebook. Take pics and use hashtag #findthebuoy

SEE PREVIOUS YEARS WINNERS AND PRIZES

2024 Official Rules and Disclaimers

2024 Disclaimers:

• Postcards will be available at buoy locations beginning Saturday, November 23, 2024.

• A total quantity of 450 postcards will be printed. Once the 450 are gone, that’s it!

• Postcards must be delivered to a buoy location no later than Tuesday, December 31, 2024.

• All twelve (12) stamps must be collected to qualify for one of the four prizes.

• Gift cards are not redeemable for cash and are redeemable at issuing merchant only.

Official Rules:

NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. 
A PURCHASE OR PAYMENT WILL NOT IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. 

Eligibility: The Find the Buoy Holiday Scavenger Hunt (“Scavenger Hunt”) is open to all those who are willing to participate, although a limited quantity of postcards will be printed. Participants must submit a completed postcard to be eligible.

Sponsorship: The Scavenger Hunt sponsor is the Stonington Borough Merchants Association (“Sponsor”), located at PO Box 821, Stonington, CT. Sponsor will conduct the Scavenger Hunt substantially as described in these Official Rules.

Entry Period: This Scavenger Hunt begins on Saturday, November 23, 2024, at 10:00 AM EST and ends on Tuesday, December 31, 2024, at 3:00 PM EST (“Entry Period”) during which time postcards may be stamped. As business hours may vary, please refer to individual merchants for the most up-to-date information. Postcards must be delivered to a buoy location no later than Tuesday, December 31, 2024. 

How to Enter: During the Entry Period, visit the Find-the-buoy page located on the Sponsor’s website at www.StoningtonBoroughCT.com/find-the-buoy for complete details and buoy locations. Visit the Sponsor’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/StoningtonBoroughCT for complete details and buoy locations. 

You will be asked to pick up a Find the Buoy postcard available at participating buoy locations; Visit Stonington Borough between November 23, 2024, and December 31, 2024; Find the buoy at select locations and get your postcard stamped at each location. All twelve (12) stamps must be collected to qualify for one of the four prizes. Drop your completed, stamped postcard at any buoy location by December 31, 2024, to submit your entry.

You will be asked to provide basic contact information including your name, phone number, email address, and optional is your social media handle. NOTE: You must complete all required fields of the Find the Buoy postcard with information that is valid on the date of the drawing to be eligible. This Scavenger Hunt is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Facebook or Instagram. You understand you are providing your information to the Sponsor and/or Administrator and not to social media platforms. All entries become the property of Sponsor and none will be acknowledged or returned. We do not share your information.

Limitations on Entries: LIMIT ONE ENTRY PER PERSON PER ADDRESS. Any person who attempts or otherwise encourages the entry of multiple or false contact information under multiple identities or uses any device or artifice to enter or encourage multiple or false entries, as determined by the Sponsor, will be disqualified.

Prizes:

One (1) Tote and Gift Cards Prize will be awarded, which consists of a tote bag, courtesy of the Stonington Free Library, containing gift cards, courtesy of participating Stonington Borough shops and restaurants. The approximate retail value of the Gift Card Prize is $550.00. 

Gift cards are not redeemable for cash and are only redeemable at the issuing merchant. Winner agrees to accept the Prize “as is” and entrants hereby acknowledge that neither Sponsor nor Administrator is in any manner responsible or liable for any warranty, representation, or guarantee relative to the Prize, including warranties provided exclusively by a prize supplier. 

Additional terms and conditions may apply to gift cards for which the Sponsor and Administrator shall not be responsible or liable in any way for any cancellations, losses, or damages.

One (1) NESS Camp/Sailing Lessons Prize will be awarded, which consists of either one week of half-day camp (3-hour session) or two (2) sailing lessons at New England Science and Sailing. The prize’s average retail value is $380.00.

Four (4) Tickets + Wine Prize will be awarded, which consists of four tickets to a La Grua concert and two (2) bottles of wine from Saltwater Farm Vineyard. The prize’s average retail value is $165.00.

One (1) Buoy Charm Necklace Prize will be awarded, which includes a sterling silver buoy charm on a sterling silver chain created by Maggie Lee Designs. The Buoy Charm Prize’s average retail value is $270.00.

Winners are solely responsible for any federal, state, and local taxes if applicable. Each prize is awarded “as is” with no warranty or guarantee, either express or implied, by the Sponsor or Administrator. No substitution or cash equivalent is permitted. Any difference between the stated approximate retail value and the actual value of the Gift Card Prize will not be awarded.

Drawing: Four winners will be selected in a random drawing from among all eligible entries collected during the Entry Period taking place on or about January 25, 2025, at the Sponsor’s principal place of business. The drawing will be conducted by the Sponsor, whose decisions and interpretations on all matters relating to the Scavenger Hunt and these Official Rules are final and binding in all respects. Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any entrant or winner and may refuse to award a prize to a person who is not eligible or has violated a rule, gained unfair advantage in the Scavenger Hunt, or obtained winner status using fraudulent means. If there is a dispute about the identity of an entrant, a prize will be awarded to the natural person to whom the email address is assigned by the internet service provider responsible for the domain associated with the submitted email address. If the winner is found to be ineligible or not in compliance with Scavenger Hunt rules, the winner will be disqualified and an alternate winner will be awarded the prize in a separate random drawing. The winner will be notified by telephone. The inability of the Sponsor to contact the winner by telephone within seventy-two (72) hours after selection may result in the disqualification of the winner and an alternate winner may be selected in a random drawing at Sponsor’s discretion. The prize will be available for pickup by the winner within fourteen (14) days after the winner has been notified and accepted the prize. 

Odds: The odds of winning will depend on the number of eligible entries received, according to the eligibility requirements in the Scavenger Hunt.

WARNING: ANY ATTEMPT BY ANY PERSON, WHETHER OR NOT AN ENTRANT, TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE, DESTROY, TAMPER WITH, OR VANDALIZE ANY SPONSOR-OWNED WEBSITE OR MOBILE APPLICATION OR RELATED SOCIAL NETWORKING SITE, THE ENTRY PROCESS, OR OTHERWISE INTERFERE WITH OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE SCAVENGER HUNT, MAY BE A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES AND DILIGENTLY PURSUE ALL REMEDIES AGAINST ANY SUCH PERSON TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. 

General Terms: By entering this Scavenger Hunt, you promise to abide by the Official Rules and decisions of the Sponsor, which will be final and binding in all respects. Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to refuse, disqualify, or withdraw any entry at any time.  Sponsor will not be responsible for any injury, damage, or loss of any kind arising out of your participation in the Scavenger Hunt. YOU AGREE TO RELEASE, DISCHARGE, AND HOLD HARMLESS THE SPONSOR, ITS AFFILIATES, SUBSIDIARIES, EMPLOYEES, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, AGENTS, AND ASSIGNS FROM AND AGAINST ANY OR ALL CLAIMS, LOSSES, INJURIES, OR DAMAGES RESULTING FROM PARTICIPATION IN THE SCAVENGER HUNT. Except where prohibited by law, by accepting the prize, the winner grants the Sponsor a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free license to use the winner’s name, photograph, voice, and/or likeness without further authorization, compensation, or remuneration of any kind for advertising, promotion, and other publicity purposes in any and all media now or hereafter known throughout the world.

Winners’ Names: The name of the winners is available only within five (5) days after the drawing of the winners of the Scavenger Hunt. To receive the names of the winners, where permitted by law, please contact the Sponsor by email at stoningtonborough@gmail.com.