Bridgestone's 'Fuel the Cause' contest returns

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Feb. 23, 2015) — Bridgestone Americas is working to help U.S. and Canadian consumers foster positive change in their communities with the return of its “Fuel the Cause” contest for a second year.

Bridgestone is encouraging people to nominate a variety of community project ideas for consideration to receive a $25,000 donation from the tire maker. Nominations, running through March 15, should identify a community space, object or nonprofit organization that would benefit from a transformation funded by Bridgestone, the company said.

Suggestions can include educational, environmental, safety and other community-based initiatives, such as cleaning up a neglected local park, planting a community garden or developing an after-school mentoring program.

The inaugural Fuel the Cause grand prize winner was Waterloo Elementary School in Monroe, Mich., which used Bridgestone's $25,000 donation to build a playground for students and neighborhood families. Waterloo Elementary is the smallest school in the Monroe Public Schools district and has a poverty rate of approximately 80 percent, according to the Nashville-based tire maker.

“The Fuel the Cause contest gives Bridgestone an opportunity to shine a light on our customers who are changing the game in their local communities and inspiring positive results,” said Erik Seidel, vice president of brand marketing for Bridgestone.

“We were overwhelmed by the breadth of worthy projects entered in our first Fuel the Cause contest. This year, as part of our ongoing efforts to be an active corporate citizen, we're expanding our prize offerings to help support more projects and programs in 2015.”

In order to enter the contest, consumers should submit a 500-word essay describing why their project has untapped potential and explaining how contest prize money would be used to transform it, Bridgestone said. Participants must attach photos with their entry to illustrate how the funds would support the project.

A panel of judges will pick out the top 12 finalists. The grand prize winner will be determined via public vote on Bridgestone's website between April 1 and April 30.

Bridgestone said all 12 finalists will receive at least $2,500 in prize money, with the grand prize, first runner-up and second runner-up receiving $25,000, $15,000 and $10,000, respectively. No purchase is necessary to enter or win.