NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE DOES NOT INCREASE THE CHANCES OF WINNING.

1. Eligibility: Sweepstakes (the “Sweepstakes”) is open only to those who submit photos via email and who are over 18 years of age as of the date of entry. The sweepstakes is only open to legal residents of the United States and is void where prohibited by law. Employees of The Castro Village and Castro Valley News (the “Sponsors”) their respective affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising and promotion agencies, suppliers and their immediate family members and/or those living in the same household of each are not eligible to participate in the Sweepstakes. The Sweepstakes is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations. Void where prohibited.

2. Agreement to Rules: By participating, you agree to be fully unconditionally bound by these Rules, and you represent and warrant that you meet the eligibility requirements set forth herein. In addition, you agree to accept the decisions of Castro Village Shopping Center and Castro Valley News, as final and binding as it relates to the content. The Sweepstakes is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws.

3. Sweepstakes Period: Entries will be accepted online starting on or about November 28, 2020 and ending December 31, 2020. All online entries must be received by January 3, 2021 at 11:59PM PST.

4. How to Enter: The Sweepstakes must be entered by submitting a photo at the Christmas Tree or Santa’s Workshop in Castro Village Shopping Center, and your first and last name and age via email to “[email protected]”. The entry must fulfill all sweepstakes requirements, as specified, to be eligible to win a prize. Entries that are not complete or do not adhere to the rules or specifications may be disqualified at the sole discretion of Castro Village Shopping Center or Castro Valley News. You may enter only once, and you must provide the information requested. You may not enter more than one time indicated by using multiple email addresses, identities or devices in an attempt to circumvent the rules. If you use fraudulent methods or otherwise attempt to circumvent the rules your submission may be removed from eligibility at the sole discretion of Castro Village Shopping Center and/or Castro Valley News.

5. Prizes:  The winner will receive:  One (1) $500 gift card to a Castro Village participating merchant, plus the winner may select a 501c3 non-profit organization to receive a $500 donation.  Participating merchants include:

America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses

Aran’s Color & Glaze

Aroma Cuisine of India

Castro Village Bowl

Cheese Steak Shop

Dana’s Event Boutique & Florist

Don Jose’s

Eden Bicycles

European Wax Center

The Habit Burger

Merle’s Hallmark

Health Unlimited

iSushi

Linda’s Hair & Nails

Linda’s Nails

Loard’s Ice Cream

Massage Envy

Mel’s Shoe Repair

Mountain Mikes

Mr. Pickles

OrangeTheory Fitness

Posh Bagels

Rae Talbot Salon

Rigatoni’s

Ross

See’s Candies

Sharis Restaurant

Te’ Amo Boba & Mochi Donut

Vitality Bowl

Walgreens

Actual/appraised value may differ at time of prize award. The specifics of the prize shall be solely determined by the Sponsor. No cash or other prize substitution permitted except at Sponsor’s discretion. The prize is non-transferable. Any and all prize related expenses, including without limitation any and all federal, state, and/or local taxes shall be the sole responsibility of the winner. No substitution of prize or transfer/assignment of prize to others or request for the cash equivalent by winners is permitted. Acceptance of prize constitutes permission for Castro Village and Castro Valley News to use winner’s name, likeness, and entry for purposes of advertising and trade without further compensation, unless prohibited by law.

6. Odds: The odds of winning depend on the overall number of eligible entries received.

7. Winner selection and notification: Winners of the Sweepstakes will be selected in a random drawing under the supervision of the Sponsor. Winners will be notified via email to the email address they entered the Sweepstakes with within five (5) days following the winner selection. Castro Village nor Castro Valley News shall have no liability for a winner’s failure to receive notices due to winners’ spam, junk e-mail or other security settings or for winners’ provision of incorrect or otherwise non-functioning contact information. If the selected winner cannot be contacted, is ineligible, fails to claim the prize within 15 days from the time award notification was sent, or fails to timely return a completed and executed declaration and releases as required, prize may be forfeited, and an alternate winner selected. 

The receipt by winners of the prizes offered in this Sweepstakes is conditioned upon compliance with any and all federal and state laws and regulations. ANY VIOLATION OF THESE OFFICIAL RULES BY ANY WINNER (AT SPONSOR’S SOLE DISCRETION) WILL RESULT IN SUCH WINNER’S DISQUALIFICATION AS WINNER OF THE SWEEPSTAKES AND ALL PRIVILEGES AS WINNER WILL BE IMMEDIATELY TERMINATED.

8. Rights Granted by you: By entering this content you understand that Castro Village Shopping Center and Castro Valley News , anyone acting on behalf of those companies, or its respective licensees, successors and assigns will have the right, where permitted by law, without any further notice, review or consent to print, publish, broadcast, distribute, and use, worldwide in any media now known or hereafter in perpetuity and throughout the World, your entry, including, without limitation, the entry and winner’s name, portrait, picture, voice, likeness, image or statements about the Sweepstakes, and biographical information as news, publicity or information and for trade, advertising, public relations and promotional purposes without any further compensation.

9. Terms: Castro Village and Castro Valley News reserve the right, in its sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Sweepstakes should (in its sole discretion) a virus, bugs, non-authorized human intervention, fraud or other causes beyond its control corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness or proper conduct of the Sweepstakes. In such case, Castro Valley News may select the recipients from all eligible entries received prior to and/or after (if appropriate) the action taken by Castro Valley News. Castro Valley News reserves the right at its sole discretion to disqualify any individual who tampers or attempts to tamper with the entry process or the operation of the Sweepstakes or website or violates these Terms & Conditions.

Castro Village and Castro Valley News reserve the right, in their sole discretion, to maintain the integrity of the Sweepstakes, to void votes or entries for any reason, including, but not limited to; multiple entries from the same user from different IP addresses; multiple entries from the same computer in excess of that allowed by sweepstakes rules; or the use of bots, macros or scripts or other technical means for entering.

Any attempt by an entrant to deliberately damage any web site or undermine the legitimate operation of the sweepstakes may be a violation of criminal and civil laws and should such an attempt be made, Castro Village / Castro Valley News reserve the right to seek damages from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law.

By entering the Sweepstakes, you agree to receive email newsletters periodically from Castro Village and or Castro Valley News. You can opt-out of receiving this communication at any time by responding that you do not wish to receive any more information from these companies.

10. Limitation of Liability: By entering you agree to release and hold harmless Castro Village Shopping Center / Castro Valley News and its subsidiaries, affiliates, advertising and promotion agencies, partners, representatives, agents, successors, assigns, employees, officers and directors from any liability, illness, injury, death, loss, litigation, claim or damage that may occur, directly or indirectly, whether caused by negligence or not, from (i) such entrant’s participation in the sweepstakes and/or his/her acceptance, possession, use, or misuse of any prize or any portion thereof, (ii) technical failures of any kind, including  but not limited to the malfunctioning of any computer, cable, network, hardware or software; (iii) the unavailability or inaccessibility of any transmissions or telephone or Internet service; (iv) unauthorized human intervention in any part of the entry process or the Promotion; (v) electronic or human error which may occur in the administration of the Promotion or the processing of entries.

11. Disputes: THIS SWEEPSTAKES IS GOVERNED BY THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES AND CALIFORNIA, WITHOUT RESPECT TO CONFLICT OF LAW DOCTRINES. As a condition of participating in this Sweepstakes, participant agrees that any and all disputes which cannot be resolved between the parties, and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Sweepstakes, shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, exclusively before a court located in California having jurisdiction. Further, in any such dispute, under no circumstances will participant be permitted to obtain awards for, and hereby waives all rights to claim punitive, incidental, or consequential damages, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, other than participant’s actual out-of-pocket expenses (i.e. costs associated with entering this Sweepstakes), and participant further waives all rights to have damages multiplied or increased. 

12. Winners List: The winners will be posted on the Castro Valley News Facebook page as soon as the winners have been contacted and the prices accepted by eligible entrants. 

14. Sponsor:  The Sponsor of the Sweepstakes is Castro Valley News located at 17200 Foothill Boulevard, Castro Valley, California and Castro Village Shopping Center located at 20211 Patio Dr., Suite 145, Castro Valley, California.