Giving Time Shows Love

CABOT, Vt., Feb. 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- To honor those who demonstrate love by volunteering their time, Cabot Creamery Cooperative has launched Reward Volunteers®, the nation's first mobile app that allows volunteers to log hours, post to Facebook and win rewards for themselves and the organizations they serve.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120214/NE52795)

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120213/MM52737LOGO)

"Our farmer-owners volunteer in their communities. It is as much a part of life as daily chores," said Cabot Board Chairman Neal Rea. "To honor the volunteer service and values of others, Cabot worked to develop this app to recognize all the communities where we sell products." 

Cabot-- best known as makers of "The World's Best Cheddar"-- developed Reward Volunteers in collaboration with Chalo Inc, a social business start-up. The app is free and available on iTunes. It can be used on iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and as a web-based program on RewardVolunteers.coop.

Reward Volunteers is easy to use. Volunteers select the organization for which they are volunteering, log the length of time volunteered, and post their volunteer efforts on Facebook. They have the opportunity to win prizes for themselves and non-profit organizations by increasing their logged hours, sharing posts/photos, sending emails, and securing Facebook likes for their volunteer posts.

Prizes are selected monthly, starting March 7, 2012 and include a Burton Snowboard, Cabot Cheese gift baskets, Green Mountain Coffee gift baskets, and lift tickets from Ski Vermont. Grand prizes will be awarded on July 7, 2012 and include an Alaskan cruise, Smuggler's Notch vacation and a Vermont farm vacation at Liberty Hill Farm Inn. Five individuals and five non-profits will be eligible to win $3,000 each. 

Partners in the Reward Volunteers project include:

All for Good             
AARP's Create the Good         
Marriott                  
Co+op, Stronger Together

Although launched on Valentine's Day, Reward Volunteers coincides with Cabot's Community Tour that will honor local people who give their time and skills to strengthen their communities. Kicking off in Miami on May 12th, the tour will include riders, walkers and bikers following the East Coast Greenway with events, speakers, family games, food, entertainment, cooking and cheese making demonstrations. The tour concludes in Portland, ME as part of a global finale to celebrate the U.N.'s International Year of the Cooperative, and to award grand prizes for the Reward Volunteers app.

To download the app, please visit iTunes. For more information about Reward Volunteers, please visit http://www.RewardVolunteers.coop.

ABOUT CABOT CREAMERY COOPERATIVE
Cabot Creamery Cooperative has been in continuous operation in Vermont since 1919, and we make a full line of cheeses, yogurt, sour cream, cottage cheese, and butter. Best known as makers of "The World's Best Cheddar," Cabot is owned by 1200 dairy farm families located throughout New England and upstate New York. For additional information on Cabot Creamery, visit http://www.cabotcheese.coop

Contact: Bob Schiers                
(888) 214.9444 or [email protected]

SOURCE Cabot Creamery Cooperative