Pittsburgh Launches $100,000 Contest to Raise Awareness of the Region as a Destination for Experienced Dreamers™

Winner will receive $50,000 cash prize and $50,000 charitable trust to pursue dream here

PITTSBURGH, Oct. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Each of us has a dream – some great thing we'd like to do with our lives, something we feel we were born to achieve. And Pittsburgh civic leaders have announced a national contest in search of experienced dreamers who are ready to begin chasing their dreams. The Experienced Dreamers contest is asking people 45 and older from across the country to share their dreams at www.ExperiencedDreamers.org and is offering a $100,000 prize to one individual whose entry will ultimately be selected by a public vote of the people of Pittsburgh.

The contest is an effort to raise awareness of Pittsburgh as a wonderful place to live, work, run a business, raise a family and turn dreams into reality. The winner will receive a $50,000 cash prize along with a $50,000 charitable trust in his or her name on the condition that they relocate to Pittsburgh and begin working to pursue their dream by the end of 2012.

"For so many of us, there's always something that keeps us from chasing our dreams," said Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl. "We say 'someday' as we deal with the things that are holding us back today. But here in Pittsburgh, we know that dreams become great businesses, great art and great solutions to the problems of the world. And so, we're announcing the Experienced Dreamers contest to find an experienced dreamer – somebody whose 'someday' has finally come – and to provide the resources to help them realize their inspiring and potentially transformative dream in our region."

The contest, which is being managed by Leadership Pittsburgh, Inc., was created to raise awareness of Pittsburgh's virtues among Americans 45 and older after a study commissioned by the Jewish Healthcare Foundation found that the region could realize an economic impact of more than $2.5 billion by attracting 1,250 new 45-and-older residents over the next 20 years.

"The Pittsburgh region is a great place to live and chase your dreams," said Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato. "Our history of innovation and entrepreneurism is among the best in the world, and our community embraces, supports and nurtures visionaries of all ages. Whether you prefer the energy and cosmopolitan offerings of a big city, the creativity of a vibrant artistic community, or escaping to some of the most scenic outdoors, Southwestern Pennsylvania has it all. Our region can also realize tremendous economic benefits if we are able to raise awareness among visionaries 45 and older of all the things that make this such an attractive place to relocate and pursue their dreams."

Pittsburgh's civic leaders are quick to point out the region's recent success in attracting and retaining young talent as more students who graduate from local colleges and universities are choosing to stay in the region to start careers or launch new businesses. And, they say, this initiative is a perfect complement to those efforts as it recognizes the value and contributions that experienced dreamers can bring to the community both directly and as leaders in whose footsteps young visionaries can follow.

The Experienced Dreamers initiative is a public-private partnership that brings together the City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County with members of the local foundation community – specifically, the Benedum Foundation, Buhl Foundation, Heinz Endowments, Jewish Healthcare Foundation, Pittsburgh Foundation and Richard King Mellon Foundation.

"One of the things that is so unique about this contest – and really about this region – is that it combines the ideas of entrepreneurialism with civic engagement and philanthropy," said Frederick Thieman, president of the Buhl Foundation. "Pittsburgh has a long, rich history of private citizens not only building businesses but getting directly involved in efforts to improve the quality of life for our entire community. And the combination of a cash prize to fuel the winner's entrepreneurial or creative pursuits along with a charitable trust underscores our desire that the winner really ought to become engaged and invested in making Pittsburgh an even better place to live and chase your dreams."

The Experienced Dreamers contest is open to entries through December 16, 2011. Entries will be judged on the uniqueness of the idea, the passion of the applicant for the idea and how well the idea has been presented. After the deadline for entries passes, submissions will be reviewed with this criteria in mind and narrowed to a list of 20 semi-finalists. These semi-finalists' applications will be further reviewed by a panel of judges who will select five finalists. And a public vote of the people of Pittsburgh region will be held to choose the competition winner from among those finalists. The five finalists will be identified in March, and the winner of the grand prize will be announced in April 2012.

For more information visit www.ExperiencedDreamers.org.

SOURCE VisitPittsburgh