ZIPS Student Essay Contest – Celebrate Your Hero!

^{OFFICIAL RULES}

^{Shine Like a Hero Essay Contest}

^{NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE OR PAYMENT WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.}

^{1. SPONSOR}

^{The Shine Like a Hero Essay Contest (the “Contest”) is sponsored by ZIPS Car Wash, 8400 Belleview Drive, Suite 210, Plano, TX 75024 (“Sponsor”).}

^{2. CONTEST PERIOD}

^{The Contest begins at 12:00:01 a.m. Central Time (“CT”) on March 16, 2026 and ends at 4:59:59 p.m. CT on April 17, 2026 (the “Contest Period”). The Sponsor’s database computer is the official timekeeping device for the Contest.}

^{3. ELIGIBILITY}

^{The Contest is open to legal residents of the United States residing in the following states: Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Virginia (the “Eligible States”). Entrants must be between six (6) and twelve (12) years of age at the time of entry.}

^{Because the Contest is open to minors:}

^{Entries must be submitted by a parent, legal guardian, teacher, or authorized afterschool program representative on behalf of the minor entrant.}

^{A parent or legal guardian must provide written consent for the minor’s participation and eligibility to receive a prize.}

^{Employees, officers, and representatives of Sponsor and its parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, advertising and promotional agencies, and their immediate family members (spouse, parents, siblings, children, grandparents, grandchildren and their respective spouses) or members of the same household are not eligible to participate. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.}

^{4. HOW TO ENTER}

^{During the Contest Period, participants must:}

^{Download and complete the official entry form available at:
ZIPS: https://zipscarwash.com/promos/essay-contest-2026} 

^{Jet Brite: https://jetbrite.zipscarwash.com/promos/essay-26-jb} 

^{Rocket Express: https://rocketexpress.zipscarwash.com/promos/essay-26-re} 

^{Write an essay responding to the prompt:
“Describe someone you consider a hero in your life and explain how they inspire you to shine.”}

^{Submit the completed entry form and essay by one of the following methods:}

^{Email: contests@zipscarwash.com
Mail:
ZIPS Car Wash
Attn: Shine Like a Hero Essay Contest
8400 Belleview Drive, Suite 210
Plano, TX 75024}

^{Each entry must include:}

^{Essay writer’s name}

^Age

^{Parent or guardian name}

^{Email address}

^{Phone number}

^{ZIP code}

^{Parent or guardian signature providing consent}

^{The parent or legal guardian must sign the Entry Form confirming consent to the minor’s participation and agreement to these Official Rules. Limit one (1) entry per entrant during the Contest Period. Entries must be received by 5:00 p.m. CT on April 17, 2026 to be eligible. Sponsor is not responsible for entries that are lost, late, incomplete, misdirected, damaged, illegible, or not received for any reason.}

^{5. ESSAY REQUIREMENTS}

^{Each essay must meet the following requirements:}

^{Be original work created by the entrant}

^{Be written in English}

^{Be between 100 and 500 words}

^{Reflect the theme “Shine Like a Hero”}

^{Not contain offensive, defamatory, discriminatory, or inappropriate content}

^{Not violate the rights, privacy, or intellectual property of any third party}

^{Not contain copyrighted material belonging to others without permission}

^{Not include sensitive personal information such as home addresses, personal phone numbers, or private financial or medical information}

^{Essays should be typed or clearly handwritten. Email submissions should be submitted as PDF, Word document, or clear scanned image. Essays must be primarily the work of the entrant. Submissions generated in whole or in substantial part using automated writing tools or artificial intelligence may be disqualified at Sponsor’s discretion. Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any entry that does not comply with these requirements or these Official Rules.}

^{6. JUDGING}

^{All eligible essays will be evaluated by a panel of judges selected by the Sponsor.}

^{Entries will be scored based on the following criteria:}

^{Creativity and originality — 40%}

^{Connection to the contest theme — 30%}

^{Clarity and quality of writing — 20%}

^{Emotional impact and inspiration — 10%}

^{Judges’ decisions are final and binding in all matters relating to the Contest. If an insufficient number of eligible entries are received, Sponsor reserves the right not to award all prizes.}

^{7. WINNER SELECTION AND NOTIFICATION}

^{Thirteen (13) potential winners will be selected on or around April 24, 2026. Potential winners will be notified via email and/or phone on or about April 27, 2026 using the contact information provided at entry.}

^{If a potential winner:}

^{Cannot be contacted within three (3) business days}

^{Fails to comply with these Official Rules}

^{Fails to provide required documentation}

^{Declines the prize}

^{the prize may be awarded to an alternate entrant. Potential winners may be required to complete and return an Affidavit of Eligibility, Liability Release, and Publicity Release signed by a parent or legal guardian within seven (7) days of notification.}

^{8. PRIZES}

^{Thirteen (13) winners will each receive:}

^{$300 Visa gift card awarded to the hero described in the essay}

^{$100 Visa gift card awarded to the essay writer}

^{One (1) One-Year Car Wash Membership}

^{The total Approximate Retail Value (ARV) of all prizes is $12,040.00. The “hero” referenced in the essay must be a real individual who consents to receive the prize. If the hero is under the age of eighteen (18), the prize must be accepted by a parent or legal guardian on their behalf. Prizes are non-transferable, and no substitution will be made except at the Sponsor’s sole discretion. Winners are responsible for any applicable federal, state, or local taxes associated with prize acceptance.}

^{9. PUBLICITY AND ESSAY USE}

^{By entering the Contest, entrants and their parents or legal guardians grant Sponsor a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive license to use, reproduce, publish, display, distribute, and create derivative works from the submitted essay, as well as the entrant’s first name, age, likeness, and hometown, for promotional, advertising, and marketing purposes in any media now known or later developed, without additional compensation unless prohibited by law. Entrants retain ownership of their submitted essays.}

^{10. PRIVACY}

^{Information collected from entrants and parents or guardians will be used solely for the administration of the Contest and in accordance with Sponsor’s Privacy Policy available at https://zipscarwash.com/privacy-policy.}

^{11. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY}

^{By participating in the Contest, entrants and their parents or guardians agree to release and hold harmless Sponsor, its parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, advertising and promotional agencies, and their respective officers, directors, employees, and agents from any and all claims, damages, or liability arising out of participation in the Contest or acceptance, use, or misuse of any prize.}

^{Sponsor is not responsible for:}

^{Technical failures or internet interruptions}

^{Lost, late, misdirected, or corrupted submissions}

^{Incorrect or inaccurate contact information}

^{Unauthorized human intervention in any part of the Contest}

^{Any injury or damage related to participation in the Contest}

^{12. RIGHT TO MODIFY OR CANCEL}

^{Sponsor reserves the right to cancel, suspend, or modify the Contest if fraud, technical failures, or any other factor impairs the integrity or proper functioning of the Contest, as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion.}

^{13. DISPUTES}

^{The Contest and these Official Rules are governed by the laws of the State of Texas, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any disputes arising from the Contest shall be resolved individually and exclusively in the state or federal courts located within Texas, and entrants waive any right to claim punitive, incidental, or consequential damages.}

^{14. WINNERS LIST}

^{For a list of winners, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to:}

^{ZIPS Car Wash
Attn: Shine Like a Hero Essay Contest Winners List
8400 Belleview Drive, Suite 210
Plano, TX 75024}

^{Requests must be received by June 30, 2026.}

^{15. SEVERABILITY}

^{If any provision of these Official Rules is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.}

^{© Zips Car Wash Holdings, LLC. All rights reserved.}