10 Ways to Get Children Excited about Family History
My interest in family history began when I was a little girl in the homes of my grandmother, Marguerite Alice, and her identical twin sister, Alice Marguerite. Family heirlooms were not just something they kept in boxes in the attic. We could play with many of them. Cast iron toys and tiny porcelain dishes sat on a low shelf. The dress-up box held high heels and fancy gowns.
In one bedroom there was a gallery wall of family photos. The twins talked about these people and I came to recognize them. I could tell that my “twin-grandmas” loved them.
These twins had fun stories to tell too. They switched places in school classes and on double-dates since no one could tell them apart. They told me about their grandmother who lived in a log-cabin and traded her homemade bread for venison with native Indians in Michigan.
One day my great-aunt pulled out a huge paper chart with names carefully handwritten that traced our family back to the Mayflower. I was hooked.
What will happen to your family history collection when you turn the corner from being a researcher to being an ancestor? Will one of your children or grandchildren love family history like you do and take good care of it?
You can spark an interest for family history in your children or grandchildren with a little creativity.
Here are 10 fun ways to get started.
TAKE PHOTOS IN YOUR FAMILY CEMETERY: Your children will love getting to use a phone camera to take photos at the cemetery. It is super easy using the free BillionGraves app. Download the app on your phone. Take your children to your local cemetery and start snapping photos.
As you take photos in one row, your child can take photos in the next row. They can leap-frog over your row when theirs is done.
Photo-taking Tips:
- Be sure all names and dates are in the frame.
- If your shadow casts over the gravestone, stand off to the side.
- Clear away grass clippings and weeds that block information.
- Hold living plants and floral arrangements aside while you take the photo.
- The youngest children or those without smartphones can help others by clearing debris away from the headstones.
- If a gravestone is difficult to read, you can try spraying it with water or applying baby powder.
- If the headstone has information on more than one side, use the link icon in the corner of the screen to link them together.
- You can use the pencil icon in the other corner of the screen to transcribe photos that may be difficult for transcribers to read in a photo.
- Upload your photos when you are done by clicking the “upload photos” button on the app. You can do this at the cemetery using data or after you return home using a Wi-fi connection.
- For more information and tutorials go to https://billiongraves.com/
FAMILY TREE: Your children can fill out this cute family tree free printable tree to help them begin to understand how they fit into your family history. Even the youngest can draw a picture of the people on your family tree.
MAP: Hang a big map on the wall and let your children put stickers on the places their ancestors lived.
I had our family ancestor map laminated so it would last. Our children used wet-erase markers to draw the path our ancestors traveled as they moved to a new city or emigrated from another country.
TIMELINE: If your children can picture the special events in the lives of their ancestors they will begin to get excited about their family history.
Create a timeline to hang down your hallway by running a strip of washi tape down the length of the wall. (It comes in such fun colors!) Add another little strip of washi tape every 3 inches to mark off the years.
Photocopy pictures of your ancestors (or print paper images if they are loaded on your computer). Let your children tape the pictures to the timeline. If you don’t have any photos of particular ancestors, use pictures that you find on the internet of people with the same occupation or wearing clothing from the same time period.
Find some fun examples from their ancestor’s lives – like the day their great-grandfather watched the elephants with the traveling circus being unloaded from a train or the day their great-grandmother helped put out a fire on her ship as she emigrated from Ireland.
Here is a free printable or your children to fill in dates and events from your ancestor’s lives. Or they can enter historical events from the area where your ancestors lived. Have your children cut out the labels and tape them to the timeline.
TELL ANCESTOR STORIES: Bedtime stories can become ancestor stories. Ten minutes in the car while running errands can be just enough time to tell a story or two about your parents or grandparents.
Do you have a tailor, a sailor, or a whaler in the family? What about a soldier or a servant? You may not have every detail about your ancestor’s life, but you could probably tell your children what people with those occupations did.
Which of your ancestors lived during the Great Depression? How did that impact their lives? Who lived during the world wars? Did they use ration books or plant a victory garden? Do your children know about these things?
Stories can be one of the best ways to build children’s excitement for family history.
CREATE AN ANCESTOR TREASURE BOX OR DRESS-UP BOX: Let your children walk in their ancestor’s shoes – literally! Or wear their hat. Or try on their fur collar.
Obviously, you don’t want to let little ones play with valuable heirlooms, but some simple props linked with some good stories will go a long way. If you don’t have any family artifacts that can be used as playthings find some substitutes in antique shops, thrift stores, or through online auction sites.
GIVE FAMILY HEIRLOOMS AS GIFTS: If you inherited something like Grandma’s jewelry or Grandpa’s fishing rod consider passing those items down to your posterity as wrapped gifts. They will be valued more if they are treated as special presents.
If you did not inherit the family treasures, you could find substitutes that may start an interest in family history. For example, you could give a string of pearls to each daughter or granddaughter with a note about how your grandmother always wore pearls to special events. Or give a gag gift – with a written story about an ancestor who was a prankster – to encourage your children to develop a sense of humor like their great-granddad.
MAKE ANCESTOR COLORING BOOKS: With a quick online search, you can find coloring pages on just about any topic. If you have an ancestor that was a lumberjack try searching for “lumberjack coloring page”.
Searching for a country, such as “Germany coloring page” will give a wide variety of pictures. Print them off and staple them together to create a custom family coloring book.
LOOK AT FAMILY PHOTO ALBUMS TOGETHER: If a picture is worth a thousand words, a family photo album is priceless.
Which grandparent do they think they most look like? Which of their ancestors matches stories they have heard?
Compare your children’s baby photos to your own. Can they make the same silly faces that their ancestors are making in their photos?
ADOPT A CEMETERY: Set a goal to take photos of every gravestone in a particular cemetery. This will teach your children to not only love their own ancestors but to help others who are trying to find theirs.
Go to BillionGraves.com. Under the “Volunteer” tab select “Adopt a Cemetery” to officially adopt the cemetery. Follow the photo-taking tips above.
We hope you have a great time as you watch your children get excited about family history!
Cathy (Guest Writer)
and the BillionGraves Team
5 Fun Fall Family Reunion Activities!
5 FUN FALL FAMILY REUNION ACTIVITIES!
Did you have a family reunion over the summer? Or is it still on your “to do” list? Perhaps you had a family reunion and it was so much fun you are ready to do it again! As the color comes into the leaves and the days get cooler, it is a great time for a fall family reunion. Here are 5 fun family reunion activities to make your autumn get-together a success.
FAMILY REUNION PUMPKIN BOWLING
Pumpkin bowling is a fun game that can be enjoyed by anyone from age 2 to 99.
For the bowling ball, select a small to medium-sized pumpkin and remove the stem. Use
white acrylic paint and a permanent black marker to add a silly face.
Two-liter bottles work well as the bowling pins. Fill them with water to about one-third for
stability.
Stand back, roll the pumpkin toward the bottles, and watch the laughter and fun begin!
FAMILY REUNION SCAVENGER HUNT
Have you ever wished the beginning of a family reunion didn’t feel quite so awkward? It can feel this way if you haven’t seen each other for a long time or for those who have married into the family.
Family Reunion Scavenger Hunts are a great way to break-the-ice and get to know extended family members better.
To play, each family member is given a copy of this free printable and a pen.
Mingle with other family members asking them if they match a specific characteristic on the chart and if they do, ask them to initial it. Do you know if anyone in your family can yodel or wiggle their ears? Who played in the autumn leaves or speaks two languages?
After 20 minutes, present a prize to the one who has the most squares signed. Read the chart aloud and ask all who fit the characteristic to stand up.
Download: Family Reunion Scavenger Hunt Free Printable
FAMILY REUNION HUMAN KNOT
The Family Reunion Human Knot game is a great way for extended family members to get to know each other’s names, build unity through team-work, and laugh together.
The ideal number of participants is 8-12. If your group is larger than 20 split into two groups and race each other.
Start by standing in a circle with your hands by your sides. Each person in the circle takes a turn to say their own name. Everyone in the circle repeats their name back three times in
a group chant.
Next, join hands with two different people, matching right hands to right hands and left hands to left hands. Do not hold hands with the two people standing right next to you. This
should form a giant human knot. Now take turns bending, twisting, and moving to untangle yourselves. You may need to step over joined hands or duck under arms to untangle the knot. If you want to give someone else an idea of how to move, you must first say their name. If you forget someone’s name you may ask another family member. When your human knot is untangled you will be standing in a circle holding hands.
Grandpa, Grandma, or another spokesperson may explain that – just as in the human knot game – when family members join together things may sometimes get muddled up. But, as family members stick together to work things out they will become more unified, get to know one another better, and may even end up laughing about it. Encourage them to remember this family reunion game as they try to work out real-life family problems.
FAMILY REUNION GUESS WHO GAME
Get to know people at your family reunion with this fun guessing game. Give everyone a copy of this free printable and a pen. Allow 10 minutes to answer the questions. Gather the papers and read the answers aloud without revealing who wrote them. Everyone votes on who they think answered each set of questions.
Family Reunion Guess Who Game Free Printable
FAMILY REUNION CEMETERY PHOTO RACE
This family reunion activity is not only great fun but is meaningful as well. It will help others to find their ancestors as the photos are made available for genealogical research. Family members race to see who can take the most photos in an hour to win a prize. Pair off. One person takes photos in one row of headstones and their partner in the next row. Leap-frog over your partner’s row when you complete your own.
How To Play:
- Download the BillionGraves app to your phones. It’s free. (Do this in advance if Wi-fi
is needed.) - Open the app and tap on the “Cemeteries” button.
- Tap on “Headstone Images” to see the cemetery map. Pins represent where photos
have already been taken. - Look for a section of the cemetery without pins. Zoom in on the map as needed.
- Start taking photos.
Photo-taking Tips:
- If your shadow casts over the gravestone, stand off to the side.
- Clear away grass clippings and weeds.
- Hold living plants aside while you take the photo.
- Be sure all names, dates, and other important information are in the frame.
- Link images of every side of the headstone that has information by using the link icon
in the corner of the screen. - Those without smartphones can help others by clearing debris away from the
headstones. - If worn gravestones may be difficult for transcribers to read you may transcribe them
at the cemetery by using the pencil icon in the corner of the screen. - Upload your photos when you are done by clicking the “upload photos” button on the
app. You can do this at the cemetery using data or after you return home using a Wi-
fi connection. - For more information and tutorials go to https://billiongraves.com/
We wish you a successful and fun fall family reunion!
Cathy (Guest Writer)
and the BillionGraves Team
A Labor of Love on Labor Day
Many of us get a day off of work on Labor Day, but it doesn’t have to be a day off of life. Labor Day can become a day to serve others, a labor of love. Service makes life meaningful.
Our ancestors were a part of something bigger than themselves. They helped make America the land of the free and the home of the brave.
I have ancestors who were coal miners. They lowered themselves into the depths of the earth early in the morning before the sun rose. All day, they worked hard in the darkness and came to the surface as the sun was setting. They did it because it put food on the table for their family. My family.
I have ancestors who were farmers. They milked dozens of cows until their hands were raw. They returned to do it again every morning and every evening day after day. They plowed the fields and planted seeds for their harvest. They dug deep and planted trees for their posterity’s harvest. For my harvest.
I have ancestors who were seamstresses. They sat long hours at sewing machines attaching one sleeve after another to shirts that would march into war on the backs of soldiers. Soldiers that defended America. My America. Your America.
What about your ancestors? Were they a part of something bigger than themselves? A part of building our country? Did they labor in love for their posterity? For you?
Have you ever been a part of something bigger than yourself?
Something so big it made you forget about yourself?
Something so big it filled you with purpose and passion.
And as you focused on it YOU became something more, something greater.
BillionGraves is that something bigger.
There are more than 10,000 cemeteries in America alone.
They hold pieces of America’s history. They hold pieces of your family history.
But many of them are being threatened by the progress of modern life.
Gravestones are being worn down by time.
The storms of life are erasing the details of our ancestor’s lives.
You can help rescue the information these gravestones hold before it is too late.
BillionGraves has developed technology to make capturing gravestone images quick and easy.
You can take hundreds of photos in an hour! And it’s free.
Then with one click of a button, the photos are uploaded for everyone to share.
Share them for the memories, for genealogy, for family history . . . for love.
Perhaps you have already photographed your ancestor’s gravestones. What about the other people buried in the same cemetery? These are the people your ancestors spent their life with. Buried nearby are your ancestor’s cousins, their best friends, their hairdresser, their doctor, their mailman. These people meant the world to your ancestors. Your ancestors would love to have these people remembered too.
BillionGraves’ goal is to photograph a billion graves before it’s too late. Before they are gone.
Come be a part of something bigger than yourself and in the process, you will become something more, something greater.
Come be a part of something bigger . . . BillionGraves.
Give a labor of love this Labor Day.
Getting Started:
- Download the free BillionGraves app to your smartphone.
- After opening the app click on the “Cemeteries” button.
- Click the pin of your choice.
- Click on the name of the cemetery, which will open the cemetery information.
- Click on “Headstone Images” to see a map of the cemetery.
- Pins represent gravestones that have already had photos taken. Look for a section of the cemetery without pins.
- Zoom-in as needed.
- Begin taking photos.
Photo-taking Tips:
- Stand to the side to avoid casting a shadow.
- Remove weeds, grass, or other debris that may block gravestone information.
- Ensure names and dates are inside the photo frame.
- Use the link icon in the corner of the screen to connect photos. This may be done for gravestones with multiple sides or to link family members.
- Use the pencil icon in the corner of the screen to label stones that may be difficult for transcribers to read.
- When you are done, click on “upload photos”. You can do this after you return home using a Wi-fi connection or at the cemetery with data.
For more information go to https://BillionGraves.com
This Labor Day give a labor of love . . . with BillionGraves.
Happy Labor Day!
Cathy (Guest Writer)
and the BillionGraves Team
Read MoreOver 1.3 Million More in May!
Over 1.3 Million More in May!
The final results are in and the numbers speak for themselves! 560,759 photos were taken, 822,911 records were transcribed (with an additional 179,000 images waiting to be transcribed)! In total volunteers made over 1,383,670 contributions during the month of May!
The Grand Prize:
50,000 Photos Uploaded | 30,000 Transcriptions
Special congratulations to WernerF (Took 1st place in photo uploads and 2nd place in transcriptions!), SteveN, Kevin, ladynwht, lesleypacker, and Alexandre M, for uploading and transcribing more than 50,000 images/records and earning the Grand Prizes!
WernerF uploaded 51,748 photos and transcribed 32,961 records!
StevenN uploaded 51,560 photos and transcribed 651 records!
Kevin uploaded 51,482 photos!
Ladynwht transcribed 33,417 records!
Lesleypacker transcribed 30,249 records!
Alexandre M. transcribed 30,021 records!
Thank you all for going the extra mile and achieving such an incredible goal!
Tier 4:
25,000 Photos Uploaded | 15,000 Transcriptions
Congratulations to K Lassman, Noica, Garycoops, Rhonda.lou.002, and Grahampacker for completing the Tier 4 Challenge!
Tier 3:
12,500 Photos Uploaded | 5,000 Transcriptions
Congratulations to Melyssawebb, JRD, Ccornwall, Shaun, Mary Hennig, Shirley Tauer, Lydia Uribe, Amy R-T, Marijke Bullians, Trishkovach, Njalbertson, Sarah Kiezie, Smarsh, Mary Espinoza, Thaise, Vania Juliani, Ljayne123, Sherrolls, Therese, Petr, Karl kaufmann, Linda, Anchie, Stephanie, Lanne6, Whisper, Skelly, Susanflauta, Sammy, Chantel, and Luciano Kienolt for completing the Tier 3 Challenge!
Tier 2:
5,000 Photos Uploaded | 2,500 Transcriptions
Congratulations to Kris M, Phil Kelly, Sheralyn Belyeu, Marijke Bullians, TutyO, JankaBart, Nadezda, Therman, Petr, Mkansas, GorAM, Deb, Linda, Ambermom, KV6H, PatM, Agnes, Stephanie, Biskupme, Dadams, Phil Kelly, Adam Malecki, Gregschultz31, Clruoss, DebJ, Tvbusybee, Katie C, Treebuilder, Dgmurray, SandieBee, ALEJOCOTE, Tmister02, ErniemacUK, Moodc, JankaBart, Shuttergoul, Terry, Mooger98, Gonavy, Almathe3rd, Gluchy, Karlka400, Gvshkurkin, Taljaardpk, Merrily, Jalberti, Lisa, Prelleg, Esthergreenwood, Eviljeeps, HereAndThere, DdraigGoch, Megabear, Cowboyj2936, Kgrizzard, Reidy656, Kris M, Agster, Penthas-dream, Therman, Savio Onofre, RMR81, and Jondrae for completing the Tier 2 Challenge!
Tier 1:
1,000 Photos Uploaded | 500 Transcriptions
Congratulations to ALL 262 VOLUNTEERS who completed the Tier 1 prize of 6 FREE months of BillionGraves Plus!
Again a special thank you all photographers and transcribers who participated!
Like us on Facebook and Instagram now for real-time updates and exclusive promos!
Read MoreMillion More in May Starts Now!
Million More in May Madness 2018 Has Started!
Happy May 1st, BillionGravers!
May has started and you know what that means! It’s time for our favorite event of the year – The 7th Annual Million More in May Competition! We have AMAZING prizes this year for all those who participate! Read more about the competition and prizes below.
The Million More in May Competition is a friendly event geared towards adding 1 Million (yes, that’s a 1 with six zeros behind it!) unique images, and 1 Million additional records transcribed and added to the BillionGraves database in the month of May. With all the new users and wonderful weather we could easily reach our 1 million record goal, and make a lot of people, looking for those records, eternally grateful for the hard work.
The Million More in May competition is open to ANY registered BillionGraves user, anywhere in the world. Not a registered user? That’s okay. It’s free and easy to do. Just click the link here to register.
We know that many users might not be in a climate with the warm weather where picture taking is possible. Please consider transcribing records for this event! We will have other events throughout the year geared towards all of our international users with changing climates.
Want to take pictures? Start by getting the app on your mobile device.
(Download the iOS App HERE, Download the Android App HERE)
Looking for a cemetery to document? Learn how to find a cemetery to photograph here.
Want to transcribe photos? Learn more about how to transcribe by following the link HERE.
Start transcribing headstones HERE.
For those of you that really want to help and earn something while you are at it, we have GREAT prizes!
(Let’s face it, everyone likes FREE stuff!)
As always, the greatest reward for your efforts comes from knowing that you are preserving invaluable genealogical records as well as making them readily available for family members to locate. It’s not worth getting 1 million records if they aren’t done correctly!
Now to the prizes!
This year, each user can earn prizes based on how many photos or transcriptions they have completed. The more photos or transcriptions completed, the better the prizes! Starting at Tier 1 all the way up to the GRAND prize, every contributor can earn these great prizes! At the end of the month, we will calculate your points and whichever prize tier your contributions end in, will qualify you for the prizes below.
1,000 Photos Uploaded | 500 Transcriptions ($30 VALUE)
For all users that upload more than 1,000 photos or complete 500 transcriptions, they will receive 6 months free credit to the BillionGraves Plus services!
For this competition, we have increased this from 1 month to 6 months of BillionGraves Plus!! Take advantage of 7 features that will help you find family faster than ever before!
5,000 Photos Uploaded | 2,500 Transcriptions ($50 VALUE)
Automate your home with the latest from Google and Amazon. Upload 5,000 unique photos or complete 2,500 transcriptions to earn yourself the choice of a Google Home Mini, Amazon Echo Dot, or $50 Amazon Gift Card*
These tiny at-home assistants can do everything from keeping you up to date on your schedule and the weather or automate your home security, lock your doors, turn on/off lights – and more!
12,500 Photos Uploaded | 5,000 Transcriptions ($75-$100 VALUE)
Have you been dying to get your hands on DNA results from your favorite family tree or provider? Well, wait no longer! By uploading 12,500 unique images, OR transcribing 5,000 images, you will earn a DNA test from any of the providers below!
OR
$75 Amazon Gift Card*
Reach this level in the month of May and we’ll send you the DNA test of your choice. The specific DNA test that can be earned can be found by clicking on the links above. Breakthrough those brick walls or be the center of your next family reunion with your DNA results from these great providers!
Tier 4:
25,000 Photos Uploaded | 15,000 Transcriptions ($250 VALUE)
We’re going to spice things up even more! Choose between a GoPro HERO (2018), Samsung Gear S3**, or $200 Amazon Gift Card* when you upload 25,000 unique images OR transcribe 15,000 images!
These items are some of the hottest electronics you can get your hands on! From capturing gorgeous video and pictures to having the most sophisticated Android-powered smartwatch on your wrist, the gifts in Tier 4 will not disappoint!
50,000 Photos Uploaded | 30,000 Transcriptions ($500+ VALUE!!)
Last but not least, if you upload 50,000 unique images, OR transcribe 30,000 records, we will give you your choice between a brand new, Apple Ipad 9.7 WiFi+Cellular**, Xbox One X, Apple Watch Series 3, Nikon D3400 DSLR Camera, TCL 55-Inch 4k Ultra HD Smart LED TV, Bose Quiet Comfort 35 Wireless + Noise Cancelling Headphones
EVERY BillionGraves contributor that uploads over 50,000 unique photos or transcribes 30,000 records will get their choice of one of the phenomenal prizes above. These prizes represent some of the most state-of-the-art tech you can hold IN your hands, ON your wrist, place IN FRONT of your eyes, or put ON your head! So, take a bow, my good friend. You’ve accomplished something quite incredible and you deserve a prize that matches! Thank you for your contributions during the Million More In May Contest!
Terms and conditions do apply so please read below for more details!
ATTENTION:
PLEASE, follow all the guidelines for taking the “PERFECT” picture! Need a refresher? Read this great article about the 7 ways to become the photographer that every genealogist love! Remember with our photo rating system that our transcribers will be making sure that QUALITY photos are the only kind of photos acceptable! Any blurry or poor photos will be removed from your total. We love doing competitions like this, but we all need to remember that quality is ALWAYS better than quantity!
| Note: All photos and transcriptions will be audited throughout the competition. Any photos that do not adhere to the guidelines found in the article HERE will be disqualified from the competition. |
HOW TO FIND A CEMETERY TO DOCUMENT:
This is a great question! We have put together several videos to help users find a cemetery nearby to photograph. For additional information, refer to the getting started page here.
- How to Update your Location to Find Nearby Cemeteries
- How to Find a Cemetery To Photograph – Empty Cemetery
- How to Find a Cemetery to Photograph – Some Records Completed, But Not All
- How to Work with the Cemetery to Take Photos
A SPECIAL NOTE FROM BILLIONGRAVES:
Taking 50,000 photos or transcribing 30,000 records is no small feat! Only a small handful of people have ever achieved it.
We want to give prizes away to everyone! However, BillionGraves is proud to maintain a FREE site! Remember, our goal is to document the world’s cemeteries and make it available to anyone and everyone for FREE!
We like to spice things up every now and then with prizes and giveaways! So for anyone who wants to step up and be apart of a very small elite group of volunteers, this month’s prize is just for you!
How does the competition work?
Each photo uploaded and transcription completed earns you 1 point. BillionGraves offers many great prizes. Prizes are awarded to users who reach certain point levels throughout the month of May. At the end of the month, the total number of points you earned by taking photos or transcribing records is used to calculate which prize tier you earned for your efforts! The more points you earn, the better the prize!
Note: we do NOT combine your photos uploaded and transcriptions as a part of the event totals. We recognize that there are different obstacles for photographers than there are for transcribers. We have tried to reflect these obstacles in the total number of contributions required for each prize tier.
There is no limit to the number of photos taken or transcriptions completed. All entries must be submitted before June 1, 2018 (00:00 UTC time). Terms and conditions do apply.
• Register! It’s 100% free and 100% necessary if you’re going to participate in this competition. Make sure once you register that you verify your email! To claim your prize we will communicate with you through the email you provide and verify.
• Like us on Facebook, Follow us on Twitter and Instagram! It’s simple to do and keeps you constantly up to date will all the new amazing things we are doing at BG!
• Make sure that you have the latest and greatest BillionGraves apps. Check the iTunes App Store, Google Play, for any updates on your device.
• Make it a habit. Go to the cemetery regularly—incorporate a local cemetery into your daily walk or bike ride, and snap some pictures along the way.
• Create a group event! It’s a great way to get organized and share in the fun with friends. Create a group event here.
• Follow your progress on our leaderboard! We have awesome graphics that will track your progress every step of the way! The leaderboard is not in real time. Please allow 24 hours for numbers to reflect accurately! Remember that photos that are flagged by transcribers will be removed from your totals so the totals may vary daily. Don’t forget you can always correct any images that are flagged. Learn more about fixing flagged images here.
• A word of advice: don’t wait for Memorial Day. The decorations at the cemetery for that holiday actually make it MORE difficult to collect images—people have to transcribe the content, and flower arrangements and other decorations can easily obscure that important content.
• Contest begins May 1, 2018, and ends May 31, 2018, @ 11:59 pm GMT (That’s 6 pm MST)
| A great way to reach your goal is to grab your friends and head out to the cemetery as a group! |
Teamwork always pays off!
If everyone in the group logs their different devices into one account, your efforts will be combined, making it easier to hit your goal! Once you hit the 50,000 photo goal or 30,000 transcriptions goal, switch it up and combine efforts with another person in the group and earn multiple prizes!
So make it a group effort! Get a few friends/family members out at a time, log in to the same account, and take as many pictures as you can in one outing. For example, a husband/wife team could get the grand prize together by taking 25,000 images each, which is less than many users do in a month by themselves.
Note: Only one prize will be given per username, and will be shipped to the username the efforts are performed under. [/info_box]
“What?! BillionGraves isn’t really going to give out these prizes… are they?!”
YES! We really are giving out these great prizes! Still, don’t believe us? Ask Nancy Alford, Melyssawebb, jodie1, Paulwuzhere, William, FionaNZ or liallee and see if we were kidding? Here is Fiona enjoying the iPad mini she won during one of our previous competitions!
The Fine Print. (Cause we have to have fine print, right?)
- All photos and transcriptions must be submitted before the closing date of May 31, 2018 @ 11:59:59 pm GMT (That’s 6 pm MST). Any submissions after that point will be excluded from the final results.
- This promotion is intended for photographers and transcribers. Let’s go outside!
- Supporting records will NOT be counted towards the monthly totals. Only images that originate from the genuine BillionGraves apps will be accepted.
- If you or another user marks a headstone picture as “bad” we deduct it from the uploader’s total images.
- For transcribers, we will be looking extra hard at the quality of transcriptions as well. We will erase the record and have it re-transcribed if it’s not done correctly. Any record not transcribed correctly will be deducted from your total.
- In the off chance that we don’t have enough images to transcribe, GO TAKE PICTURES! We will allow both photos taken and transcriptions completed to count ONLY if there are no photos left in the transcription queue. BillionGraves must announce this update before this exclusion becomes active.
- Make sure you have permission and are welcome to take pictures in your local cemetery before doing so. Remember, private cemeteries require permission of the owner before taking any pictures. No one likes a trespasser!
- This promotion is open to all to participate ages 13 and above for free. Registration is required. (Register HERE. Come on. You know you want to. It’s free!)
- More than one individual may contribute to a single account, however, the limit is one prize redemption per BillionGraves account. The prize will be claimed by only the username the combined work was completed under. BillionGraves will not arbitrate any disputes. ALL RECORDS MUST BE UNDER ONE ACCOUNT. BILLIONGRAVES WILL NOT COMBINE ACCOUNTS UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE.
- Items will ship in 6-8 weeks after contest closes for winners residing in the U.S. International winners please allow 8-12 weeks for items to be delivered.
- Due to current world-unrest, some areas may increase the amount of time it takes for prizes to be delivered. If for some reason your country isn’t compatible with the prize tiers, we will work with you to provide you with a prize or gift card that is equal in value.
- Recipients will be required to provide a mailing address for physical items.
- Winner will be required to provide completed tax forms for the redemption of the prize.
- REQUIRED: ALL PRIZES MUST BE CLAIMED WITH PROPER MAILING/DELIVERY INSTRUCTIONS BY THE 15TH OF JUNE OR YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE THE PRIZE! WE WILL SEND OUT CONFIRMATION EMAILS BY THE 3RD OF JUNE. IF YOU DON’T RECEIVE A CONFIRMATION EMAIL ASKING FOR YOUR ADDRESS, YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR SENDING IT TO US BY THE 15TH AT BonnieG@BillionGraves.com.
We’re super excited for this amazing competition! Now, get outside and earn yourself great prizes!
Good luck!
-The BillionGraves Team
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