The MatchMade Scholarship

Help connect the children of Match couples to an education.

The finalist with the most shared video wins a $50,000 scholarship.

Austin

Lake Dallas, TX

Dacia

Minneapolis, MN

Noah

Atlanta, GA

Olivia

Boston, MA

Rachael

Abilene, KS

Austin, Lake Dallas, TX

Austin always wanted a father. And after meeting the new man in his mother’s life way back in 2003, he knew it was “Dad at first sight.”

  • What inspired you to create your MatchMade video?

    The scholarship will allow me to pursue higher education without going into debt and show that online dating is a viable option to meet someone great.

  • How will the scholarship help you meet your goals?

    Receiving this scholarship would let me keep my options open and allow me to explore different schools than I originally thought possible.

  • How did your parents meet on the site?

    When my mom asked “would you date someone with kids?” my dad answered, “as long as you don’t have 12 of them and live in a shoe, I might be interested.”

  • Tell us about your parents’ first date.

    They attended a wedding where my mom only knew the bride and dad didn’t know anyone (including my mom).

  • How has Match.com changed your family’s life?

    Without Match, my parents wouldn’t have met. I wouldn’t have a father, I wouldn’t have my little sister, and my mom wouldn’t be happy as she is today.

Dacia, Minneapolis, MN

Ever since Dacia’s stepdad took one fateful cross-country trip to meet her mom, their blended family has been inseparable.

  • What inspired you to create your MatchMade video?

    My parents’ MatchMade fairy tale and its effect on my life is what inspired me to make this video, and I’m sharing it hoping it inspires you too.

  • How will the scholarship help you meet your goals?

    I work several jobs so that I’m not drowning in student loan debt while trying to pursue my dream of writing a book. The scholarship would lift a huge weight off my shoulders.

  • How did your parents meet on the site?

    My mom messaged my dad and he replied within minutes. They had what I like to call, a forest fire connection. The second the sparks started flying, it grew into something much bigger.

  • Tell us about your parents’ first date.

    My dad flew up to Minnesota from Louisiana, where he lived. My mom showed him around Minneapolis and after she dropped him off at the airport, he called 30 minutes later saying he missed her.

  • How has Match.com changed your family’s life?

    Our family wouldn’t be complete if they hadn’t found each other. Without Match our family, the unrelenting force that it is today, wouldn’t exist.

Noah, Atlanta, GA

Before Noah knew it, the man whose profile said he didn’t want kids, became the man that completed his family.

  • What inspired you to create your MatchMade video?

    My mom said this could be our chance to tell the world that Match is more than a place to find a date, it’s a place to find your future.

  • How will the scholarship help you meet your goals?

    The scholarship would help me pursue a business or engineering degree.

  • How did your parents meet on the site?

    Right after my mom messaged my dad, her computer crashed and she didn’t even know if he’d received it. The next day he messaged her back and the rest is history.

  • Tell us about your parents’ first date.

    They talked for hours and after they said goodbye, a black cat ran in front of my mom’s car. We’re glad that superstition didn’t turn out to be true.

  • How has Match.com changed your family’s life?

    My family’s life wouldn’t be what it is today.

Olivia, Boston, MA

With 3 days left until her subscription ended, Olivia’s stepmom found her future wife, and a new family, just in time.

  • What inspired you to create your MatchMade video?

    My moms were fortunate enough to discover each other. I felt I should share their story because I can’t imagine our family not being together.

  • How will the scholarship help you meet your goals?

    It will ensure that I am able to afford to go to college and eventually pursue a career in environmental engineering.

  • How did your parents meet on the site?

    My stepmom was ready to give up on love. When she saw my mom’s profile, and how much they had in common, she reached out to her immediately.

  • Tell us about your parents’ first date.

    They went to a local restaurant and both felt there was never a pause in their conversation, and that they “immediately connected.”

  • How has Match.com changed your family’s life?

    We’ve all found people to love for the rest of our lives. I have the sibling I’ve always wanted, my sister has someone to look up to and my parents no longer feel lonely.

Rachael, Abilene, KS

Not even a deployment in Afghanistan could keep Rachael’s parents from falling in love.

  • What inspired you to create your MatchMade video?

    I felt my parents’ story needed to be told.

  • How will the scholarship help you meet your goals?

    This scholarship could help me pursue my goals of becoming writer/journalist and studying abroad.

  • How did your parents meet on the site?

    My stepdad messaged my mom saying he thought they had a lot in common and he wanted to know if she wanted to go out sometime.

  • Tell us about your parents’ first date.

    They really hit it off and Charlie told my mom that he was getting out of the Army after his enlistment. He still remembers my mom stealing a quick kiss before she left.

  • How has Match.com changed your family’s life?

    Now my mom is happier, as is our whole family. Someday I hope I can find a love as real as theirs.

Official Rules

MatchMade Contest

OFFICIAL RULES


1. Contest Period. The MatchMade Contest (the "Contest") starts at 12:00 a.m. Central Standard Time on Monday, May 5, 2014, and ends when the winner has been selected, verified as eligible, the prize has been awarded, all material terms of these Official Rules have been met and all obligations or rights herein have expired (the "Contest Period"). During the Contest Period, all eligible contestants must enter between 12:00 a.m. Central Standard Time on Monday, May 5, 2014 and Monday, June 30, 2014 at 11:59 p.m. Central Standard Time (the "Contest Entry Period"). Sponsor's computer will be the official timekeeper of this Contest.

2. Sponsor. The Sponsor is Match.com, L.L.C., located at 8300 Douglas Ave., Suite 800, Dallas, TX 75225 ("Match.com" or "Sponsor"). All decisions related to, as well as any interpretation of, these Official Rules by Sponsor shall be final and binding. The Contest is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations.

3. Eligibility. The Contest is offered and open only to individuals (i) who are between the ages of thirteen (13) and twenty (20) years old at the time of entry; (ii) whose parent/ legal guardian has provided consent on our contest entry page at the time of entry; (iii) who are legal residents of the continental United States including the District of Columbia; (iv) whose parent(s) (which may include stepparents and adoptive parents) or legal guardian met their significant other on Match.com; (v) who agree, and whose parent/ legal guardian agrees, to provide additional photos and information requested for participating in the fan vote or being selected as a Finalist (as defined below) or a winner (including, but not limited to, pictures of you and your parent(s)/ legal guardian(s) and the complete video files of your entry video in native format); and (vi) who agree, and whose parent/ legal guardian agrees to all of the terms and conditions of this Contest and these Official Rules. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. Void specifically in, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, outside the United States and wherever else prohibited by state or federal law. Employees and their parents, siblings and children, and persons domiciled with an employee of any of the Sponsor, its agents, parent, affiliated or related companies, subsidiaries, divisions, and promotional and advertising agencies and administrators, are ineligible to enter or win.

4. How to Enter. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY; PURCHASES OF ANY PRODUCT OR SERVICE DO NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. You (with your parent/ legal guardian's permission) may enter the Contest by visiting www.MatchMade.com (the "Website") and following the entry instructions, which will require, among other things, that you provide a link to an up to two (2) minute video (the "Video") that describes (i) your parent/ legal guardian meeting their significant other on Match.com, and (ii) how you yourself are "MatchMade" (collectively, referred to herein as your "Submission"). ach Video must also comply with the following:

  • Video must not exceed two (2) minutes in length and must be in English.
  • The Video must be your own original work, created solely by you; must not have been previously published, released or distributed in any form; must not have won any award; and must not infringe the copyright, trademark, privacy, publicity, or other personal or proprietary rights of any person or entity. For example, any footage and any still images included in a Video may not come from another source, such as a broadcast television show or Internet broadcast. Soundtracks may not contain any music unless created by you or by someone who has given you written permission to use his/her music.
  • The Video must not contain or reference any names, products or services of any company or entity other than Sponsor and must not contain any third party trademarks, logos, trade dress or promotion of any brand, product or service other than those of Sponsor.
  • If any persons appear or are referred to in the Video, you are solely responsible for obtaining, prior to submitting your Video, any and all releases and consents necessary to permit the exhibition and use of the Video by Sponsor in accordance with these Official Rules. If any person appearing in any Video is under the age of majority in their state of residence, the signature of the minor's parent or legal guardian is required on each release.
  • Videos that are lewd, obscene, sexually explicit, pornographic, disparaging, defamatory, libelous, obscene, or Videos that otherwise contain inappropriate content or objectionable material may not be submitted and may be removed at any time in Sponsor's sole and unfettered discretion.
  • The Video must not contain any personally identifiable information of any person, including entrant.
  • You may not be, nor may you work with parties in conjunction with your Video who are: 1) represented under contract (e.g., by a talent agent or manager) that would limit or impair Sponsor's ability to display your Video in any media form; 2) subject to an acting or modeling contract that would make your/their appearance in the Video a violation of any third-party rights; or 3) under any other contractual relationship, including but not limited to guild and/or union memberships, that may prevent Sponsor from being able to use the Video worldwide in all media in perpetuity on a royalty-free basis, without any payment or fee obligations.

Sponsor reserves the right in its sole and unfettered discretion to disqualify any Video that it believes violates or potentially violates any of the foregoing requirements or otherwise fails to comply with any provision of these Official Rules. The decisions of Sponsor on this and all matters pertaining to the Contest shall be final and binding. ALL VIDEO ENTRIES MUST BE RECEIVED BY 11:59 PM Central Standard Time ON MONDAY, JUNE 30, 2014. Limit one (1) entry per person. Entries by the same person in excess of the limits stated herein will be disqualified. Entries submitted will be deemed to have been submitted by the authorized account holder of the email address submitted at the time of entry. "Authorized account holder" is defined as the natural person who is assigned to an email address by an Internet access provider, online service provider or organization (e.g., business, educational institution, etc.) that is responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with the submitted email address. All submissions become the property of Sponsor upon receipt and will not be acknowledged or returned.

5. Prize and Odds. There is a total of one (1) prize (the "Prize") to be awarded. The odds of winning the Prize depend on the number of eligible Submissions received by the Sponsor, the final judging score given to each Submission, as determined solely in the discretion of the Sponsor's judges, and the fan vote. The Prize consists of (i) a scholarship in the amount of $50,000, awarded as a funded Schwab 529 College Savings Plan for the winner of the Contest and (ii) $5,000 cash awarded as a check made payable to the living parent/ legal guardian whose story is captured in the submitted video entry (or, in the case that multiple living parents'/ legal guardians' stories are captured in the submitted video entry, a total of $5,000 cash split evenly between all featured living parents/ legal guardians) for a MatchMade vacation getaway. In the event that all parents featured in the submitted video entry are deceased, the $5,000 cash will be awarded to the winning entrant. The Schwab 529 College Savings Plan is subject to the Schwab Guide and Participation Agreement and other terms. For more details regarding Schwab 529 College Savings Plans, visit www.schwab.com/529. A parent/ legal guardian must open the account and name the contest winner as the beneficiary. Approximate retail value of the Prize is $55,000.

The winner and their parent/ legal guardian must complete and execute an Affidavit of Eligibility, Liability and Publicity Release ("Release"). Any Prize details not specified above will be determined by the Sponsor at its sole discretion. The Prize is not assignable or transferable and must be accepted as awarded. Sponsor has made no warranty, representation, or guarantee, express or implied, in fact or in law, with respect to the Prize. No substitution may be made, except by the Sponsor, who reserves the sole right to substitute a Prize (or component thereof) with another prize (or component thereof) of equal or greater value if the Prize is not available for any reason as determined by the Sponsor at its sole discretion. Winner and/or the winner's parent/ legal guardian is responsible for all taxes and fees associated with Prize receipt and/or use.

6. Selection of Winner and Judging Criteria. After the end of the Contest Entry Period, judges selected by the Sponsor from the public relations and marketing groups of the Sponsor and (if necessary) its affiliates, shall judge each Submission based on the following criteria:

  • creativity of the elements of the Submission;
  • human interest value of the elements of the Submission; and
  • incorporation of parent(s)' Match.com story.

Within a reasonable time after the end of the Contest Entry Period, the judges will vote on potential finalists from among all eligible Submissions received on the Website during the Contest Entry Period. The judges will assign points for each category above from between 0 and 100 (for a maximum score of 300 points per Submission), and will select up to ten finalists from the Submissions with the highest final judging scores (the "Finalists") who will then be eligible to participate in the fan vote. Finalists will be contacted and asked to provide their Videos to Match.com in native format as well as for photos and additional information. Match.com shall post the Videos of the Finalists on the Website on Monday, August 18, 2014, and commencing on that day and ending on Monday, September 1, 2014 at 11:59 Central Standard Time (the "Fan Vote Period"), members of the public who are thirteen (13) years of age or older are invited to go to the Website to vote on the Finalists Videos posted on the Website by sharing/ tweeting to Facebook and Twitter. One fan vote per Facebook or Twitter account per person per day. The Finalist Video with the most shares/ tweets on Facebook and Twitter from the Website (as calculated by Sponsor in its sole discretion) during the Fan Vote Period shall be determined the (potential) Prize winner. In the event of a tie in the fan vote, Sponsor will break the tie using the Finalist Video with the highest judging score. Only shares off of the Website will be counted. Voting using assistance of any kind including mechanical, form filling or other software or robotic or automated assistance with regard to all or any part of the voting process is not allowed, and these votes will be disqualified. Any individual who, at the sole determination of the Sponsor, abuses the voting process in any way will be disqualified from participating in the Contest. This Contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook or Twitter. The Sponsor, acting reasonably promptly, will attempt to contact the potential Prize winner by email or telephone within five (5) business days after the fan vote concludes and will announce the winner on the Website.

Disqualification of Potential Winners. A potential winner is disqualified and forfeits the Prize if the potential winner: 1) cannot be contacted using the information provided after a reasonable effort has been exerted based on the information provided with the Submission, 2) fails to comply with these Official Rules; 2) fails to respond to the Sponsor's attempt to notify the potential winner of being selected within five business days, 3) fails to sign and return (or parent/ legal guardian fails to sign and return) the Release and IRS Form(s) W-9 within the required time period, 4) a parent/ legal guardian of the potential winner fails to set up the Schwab 529 Plan and name the potential winner as the beneficiary within ten business days of the winner being notified, or 5) the Prize, the Prize notification, or the Release is returned as undeliverable or an error or "bounceback" message is received by the Sponsor from recipient's email provider, even if the message is ultimately delivered to the recipient. In the event the potential winner is disqualified, the Sponsor will attempt to verify the eligibility of the entrant with the Submission that received the second highest number of shares/ tweets in the fan vote. Proof of identification must be provided by a potential winner upon request.

7. Grant of Rights in Likeness and Submission. Except where prohibited, participation in the Contest constitutes each participant's and their parent/ legal guardian's consent (and the consent of any other person depicted in the participant's Submission, which must be received by the entrant and his or her parent/ legal guardian prior to entry submission), for Sponsor to use the name, likeness, photograph, voice, opinions and/or hometown and state ("Persona") of each such participant or person for the Sponsor's promotional or advertising purposes in any media, worldwide, without further payment or consideration and in any form whether all or part of any Submission is modified, altered, cropped, blurred, combined or otherwise changed in any manner. This grant of rights applies unconditionally and equally to any Persona or portion thereof that is depicted in any Submission or any Persona or portion thereof that is captured by Sponsor as part of the Contest. As consideration for entry into this Contest, each entrant and parent/ legal guardian making a Submission grants to Sponsor an irrevocable and perpetual, royalty-free worldwide license to edit, modify, adapt, copy, display, combine, distribute, sell, post, stream, publish, broadcast, exhibit, exploit or otherwise use any Submission, in whole or in part and modified or unmodified, including any copyrightable work or element that is depicted in any Submission. This license shall be sub-licensable, non-exclusive, absolute, and unconditional.

8. Acceptance of Rules. By entering the Contest the entrant, his/her parent/ legal guardian and participants automatically agree to accept and abide by these Official Rules. Subject to applicable laws, all decisions of the Sponsor with respect to any aspect of the Contest, including without limitation the eligibility of entrants and each Submission, are final and binding on all entrants in all matters as they relate to the Contest.

9. Right to Modify or Cancel: Sponsor reserves the right to suspend, cancel and/or modify the Contest, or any part of it, if any fraud, technical failure or other factor beyond Sponsor's reasonable control impairs Sponsor's ability to properly conduct the Contest, or if the administration, security, fairness, integrity or the proper conduct of the Contest is corrupted or adversely affected, including by reason of infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures or any other causes beyond their control, as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion in accordance with these Official Rules. In such event, Sponsor reserves the right to award the prizes according to these Official Rules from among the eligible Submissions received up to the time of the suspension, modification or cancellation of the Contest. Sponsor's failure to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision.

10. General. All Submissions become property of Sponsor. Sponsor assumes no responsibility for garbled, lost, late, delayed, destroyed or misdirected Submissions, mail, voice messages, e-mail or any computer errors or malfunctions. Sponsor does not assume any responsibility for incorrect or inaccurate capture of entry or Submission information, technical malfunctions, human or technical error, seeding or printing errors, lost, delayed or garbled data or transmissions, omission, interruption, deletion, defect or failures of any telephone or computer line or network, computer equipment, software or any combination thereof. Submission materials and data that have been tampered with or altered are void. The Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any individual it finds to be tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Contest or to be acting in violation of these Official Rules or otherwise in a disruptive manner. Any attempts to deliberately damage the Website or to undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest is a violation of criminal and civil laws and should such an attempt be made the Sponsor reserves the right to seek remedies and damages to the fullest extent of the law. The Sponsor shall not be held responsible for any errors or negligence that may arise or occur in connection with the Contest including any damage to an entrant's computer equipment, system, software or any combination thereof, as a result of their participation in the Contest or from downloading any material from the Contest website, where applicable.

11. Personal Information. All Submissions become the property of Sponsor, and none will be returned. All personal information submitted as part of your Submission shall be kept protected and secure in accordance with Sponsor's privacy policy found at https://www.match.com/registration /privacystatement.aspx?lid=4.

12. Discrepancies. In the event of any discrepancy or inconsistency between the terms and conditions of these Official Rules and disclosures or other statements contained in any Contest-related materials, including but not limited to the Submission form, or point of sale, television, print or online advertising, the terms and conditions of these Official Rules shall prevail, govern and control.

13. Limitations of Liability: By entering this Contest each entrant and his/her parent/ legal guardian agrees to release, discharge, indemnify, and hold harmless Sponsor, Facebook, Twitter, and their respective affiliates, vendors, advertising or promotional agencies, distributors, and each of their respective subsidiaries, parent companies and each such company's officers, directors, employees and agents and their immediate families (including, but not limited to, spouses, parents, children, and their respective spouses, parents, and children) and household members (collectively, the "Released Parties") from and against any claim or cause of action, related to, or arising out of, this Contest or any prize awarded, including, but not limited to, personal injury, death, or damage to or loss of property, arising out of such entrant's and his/her parent/ legal guardian's participation in the Contest, creation of any Submission, or receipt or use or misuse of the Prize. IN NO EVENT WILL RELEASED PARTIES BE RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES OR LOSSES OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF, OR RELATED TO, THIS CONTEST OR ANY PRIZE AWARDED. The Released Parties are not responsible for: (1) technical failures of any kind, (2) any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by entrants, printing or computing errors or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Contest; (3) unauthorized human intervention in any part of the entry or Submission process or the Contest; (4) technical or human error which may occur in the administration of the Contest or the processing of Submissions; or (5) any injury or damage to persons or property which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from entrant's participation or attempted participation in the Contest or receipt or use or misuse of any Prize. If for any reason an entrant's Submission is confirmed to have been erroneously deleted, lost, or otherwise destroyed or corrupted, entrant's sole remedy is another entry in the Contest. No more than one Prize will be awarded. In the event that technical or any other reasons cause more than one Prize to be available and/or claimed, Sponsor reserves the right to award only one Prize, as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion.

14. Disputes: Except where prohibited, all entrants agree that: (1) any and all disputes, claims, and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Contest or any prize awarded shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by the appropriate federal or state court located in Dallas County, Texas; and (2) any and all claims, judgments, and awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, including costs associated with entering this Contest, but in no event attorneys' fees. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation, and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of the entrant or Sponsor in connection with this Contest, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Texas, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules (no matter what jurisdiction), that would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than as stated.