MILWAUKEE, March 15 /PRNewswire/ — Briggs & Stratton Corporation and program spokesman Tino Martinez today announced the start of the fourth annual Diamonds in the Rough youth essay contest. The contest challenges youth baseball players, ages seven to 14, to write a short essay explaining how an adult mentor or unsung hero has helped him or her harness The Power Within to achieve a goal or overcome an obstacle on or off the baseball field.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070315/CGTH048 )
Briggs & Stratton will name 11 regional Diamonds in the Rough winners and one national MVP winner. Each winning pair (youth / mentor) will earn $5,000 and a Briggs & Stratton-powered mulching mower both for the upkeep of their home field / team, along with a $100 baseball prize pack, and game tickets from their local professional baseball team. One grand prize pair will be chosen from the regional winners to receive a total of $10,000 for their field / team, a Briggs & Stratton-powered lawn tractor for field maintenance, and a clinic hosted by former New York Yankees baseball great Tino Martinez.
“Briggs & Stratton is proud to have given more than $325,000 for youth baseball in the past three years,” said Anita Fisher, marketing communications manager for Briggs & Stratton. “The new direction of the Diamonds in the Rough program will honor worthy, dedicated adult mentors and unsung heroes who have made a difference in children’s lives, while continuing our efforts to support youth baseball teams around the country.”
There are two easy ways to enter:
— Beginning March 30, enter directly online at
http://www.briggsdiamondsintherough.com/ and submit an entry form,
essay and photograph of you and/or your nominated mentor.
— Visit http://www.briggsdiamondsintherough.com/ to print a copy of the
entry form. Fill it out and mail it, postmarked no later than
April 30, 2007, to:Diamonds in the Rough
733 N. Van Buren St., 4th Floor
Milwaukee, WI 53202The 300-word essay should answer each of the following three questions:
— Who is a mentor or hero that you would like to honor in your life and
what is special about this person?
— How has this person helped you or your baseball team find The Power
Within, on or off the baseball field?
— How would you use the money to help your baseball team?
Eligible players must reside within the continental United States. The 11 regional winners who reside within 30 miles of the following cities — Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Houston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Tampa Bay — will compete for the grand prize determined by an online vote. One “MVP” winner, not eligible for the grand prize, will be chosen from all entries received.
Briggs & Stratton Corporation is the largest manufacturer of small, air-cooled engines for lawn and garden and other outdoor power equipment. The company is also the largest producer of generators and pressure washers in the United States. The company tag line, “The Power Within,” is symbolic of its commitment to provide power for all applications. Briggs & Stratton products are designed, manufactured, marketed and serviced in over 100 countries on all seven continents.
*For more information and official rules for entry visit: http://www.briggsdiamondsintherough.com/ .
