It was sweet, sweet victory for Anne Gemkow of Chicago as she pocketed the keys to her new Jeep Liberty, recently. She was the lucky licker in the Sweetest Day the Jeep Way contest in which contestants had to lick clean the grilles of seven chocolate-covered Jeep products.
The first two to finish were pitted against each other in a Jeep Liberty full of 25,000 pieces of wrapped candy in search of the vehicle's keys. Gemkow stuck it out and drove home with a new Jeep and probably a sore tongue.
Sweetest Day is getting a sugar rush this year, courtesy of the Jeep® brand. Seven sweet toothed consumers created a scene today when they licked their way through more than 700 pounds of chocolate in the "Sweetest Day the Jeep Way" challenge in Cleveland. After licking her way through a chocolate-covered Jeep grill and searching through more than 45,000 pieces of wrapped candy, Anne Gemkow of Chicago tasted victory, winning an all-new 2008 Jeep Liberty 4x4 with Sky Slider™ roof.
"I never thought my sweet tooth would actually come in handy," said Gemkow. "I've always been a huge Jeep fan and I can't wait to cruise around town in my new Jeep Liberty."
The chocoholic contestants registered online at www.SweetestDaytheJeepWay.com for the chance to savor the flavor and "lick for Liberty" in the Sweetest Day the Jeep Way challenge. More than 200 consumers submitted 250-word essays answering the question – "Why do you want to celebrate Sweetest Day the Jeep Way?" Of those, seven lucky lickers were chosen to test their sweet tooth. In the spirit of the Sweetest Day holiday, no one walked away empty handed. The first runner-up received a Jeep-themed Sweetest Day prize package, which included a Jeep bag filled with a box of chocolates and a $100 gift card. The remaining five runners-up and alternates also received the Jeep-themed Sweetest Day prize package, but with a $50 gift card.
"For the Sweetest Day the Jeep Way challenge, we looked for people who are just as passionate about their sweet tooth as they are about their Jeep vehicles and who want to have fun out there," said John Plecha, Director – Jeep Brand Marketing and Global Communications. "Since Jeep owners love to cover their vehicles in mud, we decided to cover each of the seven Jeep models in chocolate instead and create a one-of-a-kind contest for a fun twist on the Sweetest Day tradition."
To "sweeten the pot" for boys and girls in the Cleveland area, the Chrysler Foundation donated $7,000 – $1,000 for each of the vehicles in the Jeep lineup – to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland during the Sweetest Day the Jeep Way event.
The Scoop on Sweetest Day
In addition to the sugary challenge, Jeep conducted a national survey and found that 67 percent of Americans do not know the history behind Sweetest Day.1 In fact, survey results revealed:
* The Sweet Spot: Only one in three adults are aware that Sweetest Day was founded by candy makers in Cleveland as an act of goodwill.
* Chocolate Covered Confusion: Nearly one in five adults (20 percent) mistakenly believe that Sweetest Day was founded by greeting card manufacturers, while 13 percent believe it was founded by a floral company.
* Nuts About Chocolate: Forty-six percent of Americans agree that nuts are their favorite chocolate-covered food.
About the Jeep Brand
The Jeep brand has expanded to seven nameplates in the 2007 model year, the most available to retail consumers at one time in the brand's 66-year history. With the introduction of the all-new 2008 Jeep Liberty mid-size sport-utility vehicle (SUV), Jeep offers customers the freshest, most capable and widest range of sport-utility vehicles under one brand in the industry.
At the start of 2004, the brand's trio of tough, capable, rugged SUVs included the venerable Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Liberty (Cherokee outside North America) and the icon of the brand, the Jeep Wrangler. In 2005, the Jeep Commander was introduced. In 2006, the redesigned Jeep Wrangler was unveiled. Also debuting in calendar year 2006 were three more all-new Jeep vehicles: Jeep Patriot, Jeep Compass and the four-door Jeep Wrangler Unlimited.
About the 2008 Jeep Liberty
Jeep Liberty has remained a leader in the mid-size sport-utility vehicle (SUV) segment since its introduction in 2002. All-new from the ground up for 2008, the Jeep Liberty remains true to its legendary 4x4 heritage by offering two Jeep Trail Rated® four-wheel-drive systems – Command-Trac® and the all-new Selec-Trac® II. The Liberty's exterior has been redesigned, and takes on a more rugged, classic Jeep look. Making its world debut is the new Sky Slider™ full-length open canvas roof, an industry-exclusive – giving the Liberty that "Have Fun Out There" open-air Jeep brand experience. The starting Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price of the all-new 2008 Jeep Liberty is $20,990, including destination charge.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland began operations in 1954 as part of a national youth development movement consisting of Boys & Girls Clubs of America with 4,000 local organizations that collectively serve more than 4.5 million young people. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland is an organization that stands for traditional values, while providing progressive programs that address the problems faced by the youth of today, including substance abuse, teen pregnancy, gangs and violence. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland has served the community for over 50 years and today reaches out to more than 4,000 children and families.
1These results are based on 1,000 telephone interviews with American adults, 18 years of age and older from the US Express omnibus survey conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs. Interviews were conducted between August 28th and August 30th, 2007. The final data are statistically weighted to reflect the actual age and gender of the U.S. population and are balanced by region.
With a sample of 1,000, one can say with 95% certainty that the overall results are within ±3.1 percentage points of what they would have been had the entire U.S. population been surveyed. The margin of error will be larger for sub-groupings of the survey population
Italy has chosen a full-figured woman as a new beauty queen, proud of her body weighing in at 170 kilograms (375 pounds). Angela Scognamiglio said she was "very moved" when she was named as the new "Miss Chubby" at the beauty contest held in the village of Forcoli, near Pisa. "I am very moved, I feel as if I've won the lottery," the 33-year-old from Naples said after beating 30 other contestants for the title
As in all past 20 editions of the pageant, there is only one condition for entry: you have to weigh more than 100 kilograms, or 15 and a half stone
Contestants paraded before an audience of 2,500 at a local hotel, wearing gowns, or for those who cared to show more, undergarments. Some even dared a little glamour striptease
No big prize for the winner, just a huge cake to share around, and perhaps for all the contestants a boost in self-esteem in contrast to the mockery many obese face. "When we get on a bus, people nudge each other, and whisper, making fun of us, and it's the same on the beach," said redheaded Marilena Amato. "We are the victims of severe discrimination, it's as if we are second class citizens," said another contestant, Antonia Bartolo, a 37-year-old nurse from the Milan region.
The contest's founder, Gianfranco Lazzereschi, says the event showcases other types of beauty in women: "Why is it necessary to follow the dictates of what's beautiful?"
A contestant shows off her long beautiful red gown
This contestant adds a little humour
contest make-up application
