CABOT, Vt., April 17, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- On March 14, Cabot Creamery Cooperative, the farm family owned dairy cooperative widely known as the makers of the "World's Best Cheddar," launched the fifth iteration of Reward Volunteers. The most ambitious phase of the program to date, Reward Volunteers 5.0 will honor volunteers from across the country with a variety of incredible prizes each month through March 14, 2015. The prize list has grown, and includes cash for non-profit organizations, vacation packages, gift cards, gift baskets featuring Cabot's award-winning cheddar, and a host of other amazing prizes.

"In the first month of Reward Volunteers 5.0, more than a thousand acts of kindness, generosity, and community support have already been logged," says Jen Neary, Cabot Director of Marketing, Integrated Services. "Combined, that equals more than 5,300 hours of much needed service in support of non-profit organizations across the country."

The Reward Volunteers iPhone App and web widget from Cabot Creamery Cooperative enables individuals and organizations to track the time they spend volunteering in their communities, post to Facebook, and earn rewards for themselves and the organizations they serve. At the end of each month, Cabot randomly rewards volunteers for their hard work, and for inspiring friends and family to do the same, with a variety of prizes. The more hours volunteers log, the more chances to win. Participation is absolutely free.

Reward Volunteers launched in February of 2012. Since then, the program has grown every month, and given away thousands of dollars in cash and prizes to deserving volunteers and volunteer organizations.

One of those selfless individuals is Van Anderson, a lifelong volunteer who is being honored for his work with at Grafton County's UNH Cooperative Extension.

"Except for my family, volunteering for the past 40 years for 4-H has been my life," says Anderson. "My rewards have always been great, whether it was introducing children to new things, watching them mature, teaching them to cook or sew, do heritage arts and the art of being polite and thankful, giving them enthusiasm in the quest for knowledge, watching them chat and laugh, but most of all, to become good and productive citizens. The gifts from the Reward Volunteers program have just been the icing on the cake."

The prize list has grown for Reward Volunteers 5.0, and includes:

• $8,000 in cash prizes for non-profit organizations
• Farm vacations to Liberty Hill Farm, Sprout Creek Farm, Emergo Farm, Escobars Inn, Couture's Bed & Breakfast, Mountain View Inn
• Killington Resort Golf and Stay Package
• Wine Weekend Getaway at The Red Clover Inn
• A Year's Supply of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream
• Gift cards courtesy of King Arthur Flour, Dakin Farm
• Custom Painted Cabot Snowboards
• Green Mountain Coffee Keurig Machines
• Giant Transend EX Bicycle from The Bike Cooperative
• Cabot Cheddar Gift Packs
• Cloumage Chef Pack from Shy Brothers Farm
• Dansko Shoes
• Thorncrest Milk House Chocolates
• Neighborly Farms Gift Pack
• Hager's Farm Market Gift Box
• Taylor Brothers Sugarhouse & Creamery Gift Box
• Wheeler Woven Scarves
• ...and much more! (Full prize list available at: rewardvolunteers.coop/prizes)

For a complete list of Reward Volunteers 5.0 prizes, visit rewardvolunteers.coop/prizes.php.

Reward Volunteers was conceived and created by Cabot Creamery Cooperative, and is sponsored by AARP Create the Good, All for Good, Marriott, Co+op Stronger Together, Hope for Women, Points of Light, and Volunteer Spot.

LATEST PRIZE WINNERS
$500 to a Non-Profit Organization
Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank

Wine Weekend Getaway Package at Red Clover Inn
Stephanie W., WI – USO of Wisconsin

Karen Wheeler Hand Woven Chenille Scarf
William H., FL – BLUE Missions Group

Authentic Patriotism by Stephen Kiernan & Taylor Bros. Sugarhouse & Creamery Gift Box
Moira G., WI – USO of Wisconsin
Heather L., PA – Red Paw Emergency Relief Team

Shy Brothers Farm Cloumage Chef Pack
Van A., NH – University of NH Cooperative Extension

Hagers Farm Market Gift Box
Denis H., FL – Give Kids the World Village

Sending Milk by Skye Chalmers, CowPots Seed Starter & Mellori Worthens Uniquely Gaelic Album
Kate C., NH – Monadnock Humane Society
Stacie G., IA -  Books From Bobby
Barbara W., CA – SoCal Quilts of Valor
Brenda P., TX – Wells Branch Elementary PTA

Positively Ageless & a Healthy Cookbook by Cheryl Forberg, & Cabot Cheese Gift Box
Cindy W., MO – Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

Dansko Shoes
Karen F., NC – UNC-TV
Varda R., TX - The Patient Institute

Neighborly Farms Cheese Sampler
Matt L., VA – Spotsylvania Volunteer Fire Department

Dakin Farm $50 Gift Card
Christopher J., CO – Aspire, Inc.

A complete list of the organizations benefiting from the Reward Volunteers can be accessed at: http://www.cabotcheese.coop/orgs.html

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

Cabot Creamery Cooperative is the world's first cheese maker and dairy cooperative to achieve B Corporation Certification, a validation of its attention to environmental and social impacts on stakeholders.

Contact: Bob Schiers
1.888.214.9444 or bschiers@cabotcheese.coop

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120213/MM52737LOGO

SOURCE Cabot Creamery Cooperative