1. SPONSOR AND CONTEST DATES

The HappyCow.net "A Vegan World is Possible" Essay Contest ("Promotion") is sponsored and produced by HappyCow and The Blossoming Lotus ("Sponsor"). The Promotion began June 1, 2005 at 12:01 a.m. Hawaii Time (HT) and registration ends on September 1, 2005 at 12:00 Noon Hawaii Time (HT). Essays must be submitted no later than September 30, 2005.

2. ELIGIBILITY

This Promotion is open to all adults who are eighteen (18) years or older at the time of entry, except as indicated. Employees of Sponsor, its advertising and promotion agencies, their respective parent and affiliate companies, and immediate family members of each are not eligible. VOID WHERE OTHERWISE PROHIBITED, TAXED OR RESTRICTED BY APPLICABLE FEDERAL, PROVINCIAL OR STATE LAWS OR REGULATIONS.

3. HOW TO ENTER AND ENTRY DEADLINES

All entries must be received by the specified Promotion deadlines to be eligible.

Entry via the Web: Enter by clicking on a Promotion banner or other indicated link and advancing to the A Vegan World is Possible main page. After you have completed registration, write your essay, describing why a Vegan World is possible, referencing your own life, the lives of friends and family and the Vegan World Fusion Cuisine Cookbook. Then follow the link through to the "Submit Your Essay" form. Fill in the requested information on the Submit Your Essay form, and click where indicated to submit your entry. Entrant must be the authorized holder of the email account from which entry is made. The "authorized account holder" is the natural person to whom an E-mail address is assigned by an Internet access provider, online service provider, or other organization (e.g., business, educational institution, etc.) that is responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with the submitted email address

Number of entries: You may submit up to a total of one unique essay per mailing address. Entries that are incomplete, illegible, corrupted, irregular in any way, or otherwise not in compliance with these Official Contest Rules are void and will not be accepted.

Guarantees/warranties: Sponsor, its parent companies, affiliates, subsidiaries, and advertising, promotion and legal advisors, and the employees, officers, directors, shareholders, agents, and representatives of each, are not responsible for telecommunications, network, electronic, technical or computer failures of any kind, for inaccurate transcription of entry information, for any human error, or for entries that are stolen, misdirected, garbled, delayed by computer transmissions, lost, late, damaged, or postage due or for any printing or typographical errors in any materials associated with the Promotion, and all such entries are void. No warranties are implied nor guaranteed with respect to the prize(s).

Originality requirement: Your essay must be original. By entering the Promotion, you certify that the essay you submit is your own original creation and does not violate nor infringe upon any copyright(s).

Essay length: Your essay must contain no more than 1000 words.

Essay content: Your "A Vegan World is Possible" submission must include at least one reference to this cookbook and contain the words "Vegan World Fusion Cuisine" somewhere in the essay. You might wish to include how a vegan diet has changed your life, why a vegan diet and lifestyle is good for you and the planet, and why the future of our food supply depends on being a vegan. This is a Skills Contest, and prizes are awarded based on skill, knowledge, creativity, and talent - not on chance.

Essay ownership: All entries become the property of the Sponsor and will not be acknowledged or returned. By entering the Promotion, you agree to grant to The Blossoming Lotus and HappyCow.net or their assignees the exclusive right to reproduce your submitted material in any medium, either now known or hereafter devised, and forego any payment or compensation for the submitted material and without requiring any prior or further consent from you.

Change of address: If your email or other address changes before the end of the contest, DO NOT re-submit your essay using your new email address. Instead, send the change: here

4. PRIZES

The Grand Prize Winner will receive FREE round-trip coach air tickets for a party of two (2) adults from a major airport within the continental USA to Kauai Island, sharing overnight accommodations for seven (7) days / six (6) nights for a party of two (2), use of a rental car, one (1) meal each per party per day at The Blossoming Lotus Restaurant, one-hundred dollars ($100) per party for the week at the Lotus Root Juice Bar and Bakery, one massage per person, and many other surprises.

Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a similar prize of equal or greater value in its sole discretion. Not included: All taxes and all other expenses associated with the acceptance and/or use of any prize, government fees, taxes, gratuities, and items of a personal nature are the sole responsibility of the Winner. Any prize is not redeemable in cash nor have any refund value. Certain travel date restrictions may apply. REDEEMABLE BY OCT 13, 2006 (not valid during the month of December).

5. SELECTION OF WINNER

The Winner will be selected from among all eligible entries and will be announced on October 13, 2005. The odds of winning depend on the number of entries submitted and the quality of each. The decisions of judges are final. The Winner will be notified via email. If Sponsor does not receive a reply to the Winner notification announcement sent by email within twenty (20) days from the date sent, the prize will be forfeited and an alternate Winner will be selected from among the remaining eligible entries. Unless prohibited by law, the Winner will be required to complete and return an affidavit of eligibility and a publicity/liability release within two (2) weeks of responding to the notification. Acceptance of prize constitutes permission (except where prohibited by law) to use Winner's name, city, state, likeness and/or voice for purposes of advertising, promotion and publicity without additional compensation. Grand Prize award materials and information will be sent to the Winner after all required proof and documentation is received.

6. CONDITIONS

By entering, participants agree to be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of Sponsor, which shall be final. All applicable federal, provincial, state, and local laws and regulations apply.

Winners assume all liability for any injury or damages caused or claimed to be caused by his or her participation in the Promotion and/or the acceptance and/or use of any prize, and release Sponsor, its officers, directors, and employees, from any such liability. Sponsor may prohibit you from participating in the Promotion, if at the sole discretion of Sponsor, you repeatedly show a disregard for the these Promotion Official Rules, or act (i) in an inappropriate manner; (ii) with an intent to annoy, abuse, threaten, or harass any other website visitor or Sponsor representative; or (iii) in any other disruptive manner. Any attempt to either (i) enter the Promotion through any means other than as described in these Official Rules; or (ii) disrupt the Promotion or circumvent the terms and conditions of these Official Rules will result in the disqualification of all involved entries, at the sole discretion of the Sponsor. If either of the above occurs, Sponsor reserves the right to remedy any such action, disruption, or circumvention in a manner, determined solely by Sponsor, that is fair and equitable to Promotion participants.

If, for any reason, the Promotion is not capable of running as planned, including infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes beyond the control of Sponsor which corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of the Promotion, Sponsor reserves the right at their sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Promotion and to award the Grand Prize from among all eligible entries received prior to the date of termination. Sponsor reserves the right to amend or modify the terms & conditions at anytime during the Promotion.

By entering the Promotion, you agree to Sponsor's use of any information you provide under the terms of Sponsor's Privacy Policy.

7. WINNER

Winner will be highlighted in October 2005 on HappyCow.net with a feature story including bio and copy of the winning essay at winners discretion.