Terms & Conditions

1. Acceptance of Terms

By creating an account and using the America250 Midland platform ("Platform"), you agree to be bound by these Terms & Conditions. The Platform is operated by the City of Midland and the Midland Chamber of Commerce (collectively, the "Sponsor"). If you do not agree to these terms, do not use the Platform.

2. Platform Purpose

America250 Midland is a community platform created to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States. It enables citizens to submit events, honor veterans, explore heritage sites, participate in educational trivia, and engage with local history. All content is subject to review and moderation by authorized City and Chamber employees.

3. User Accounts

You must provide accurate and truthful information when creating your account, including your real name and a valid email address. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account. You must be at least 18 years of age to create an account.

4. Content Submission Guidelines

You may submit content to the Platform including event listings, veteran profiles, images, biographical narratives, contact information, and related materials. All submitted content must comply with the following guidelines:

• Accuracy: All information must be truthful and accurate. Event details (dates, times, locations, descriptions) must reflect the actual event. Veteran profiles must accurately represent the veteran's service record.
• Appropriateness: Content must be family-friendly and suitable for a community audience of all ages. No profanity, vulgar language, hate speech, discriminatory remarks, or content promoting violence.
• Relevance: Events should be related to the America250 celebration, community enrichment, historical education, or civic engagement. Submissions unrelated to the platform's purpose may be denied.
• No Commercial Spam: The Platform is not for advertising commercial products or services. Events must be genuine community activities, not disguised advertisements. Deceptive listings will be removed.
• No Illegal Activity: Content that promotes, facilitates, or depicts illegal activity is strictly prohibited.
• Respectful Tone: All biographical narratives, event descriptions, and community contributions must be written in a respectful and dignified manner, especially when honoring veterans and historical figures.

5. Image Upload Policy

Users may upload images for event listings and veteran profiles. All uploaded images must meet the following requirements:

• No Inappropriate Content: Images must not contain nudity, sexually explicit material, graphic violence, gore, or any content that is offensive, disturbing, or unsuitable for a general audience.
• No Copyrighted Material: You must have the right to use any image you upload. Do not upload copyrighted images, stock photos you do not have a license for, or images belonging to others without permission.
• Relevant to Submission: Images should be relevant to the event or veteran profile they accompany. Random, unrelated, or misleading images will be denied.
• No Embedded Text or Advertisements: Images should not contain overlaid promotional text, QR codes, or advertisements.
• Technical Requirements: Images must be in JPG or PNG format and under 5MB. Images are automatically compressed upon upload.
• Separate Approval: Images undergo a separate approval process. An event or veteran profile may be approved while its image is still pending review.

6. Event Submission Rules

• Events must include a valid title, start date/time, location with complete address, and a working contact email.
• Event descriptions must clearly explain the nature of the event and how it relates to the America250 celebration or community enrichment.
• Events promoting political campaigns, religious proselytization, or partisan agendas are not permitted.
• Location information (address, city, state, ZIP, map coordinates) must be accurate and correspond to the actual event venue.
• Contact information provided will be visible on the public event listing. Do not include personal information you do not wish to share publicly.
• Social media links and website URLs must lead to legitimate, active pages related to the event or hosting organization.

7. Veteran Profile Submission Rules

• Veteran profiles must honor real individuals who have served or are currently serving in the United States Armed Forces.
• The veteran's full name and branch of service must be provided accurately.
• Biographies should respectfully describe the veteran's service, accomplishments, and connection to the Midland community.
• Do not submit profiles for fictional individuals or include fabricated service records. Misrepresenting military service is a violation of these terms and may violate federal law (Stolen Valor Act).
• Photographs should be of the veteran being honored. Group photos are acceptable if the veteran is identified.
• You must have authorization from the veteran or their family to submit their profile and image.

8. Moderation & Content Removal

All submissions are reviewed by authorized employees before being published. The Sponsor reserves the right to approve, deny, edit, or remove any content at its sole discretion, without notice. Content that violates these Terms & Conditions will be denied or removed. Repeated violations may result in account suspension or permanent ban. Users may edit or remove their own pending submissions from their profile page.

9. Trivia & Sweepstakes

The Platform includes an educational trivia game and an optional sweepstakes raffle. Participation in the trivia game is free and open to all users. Trivia answers for logged-in users are tracked to enable progress saving and score history. Sweepstakes participation is optional and governed by separate Official Sweepstakes Rules. The Sponsor is not responsible for technical issues that may prevent participation.

10. Privacy & Data Use

Personal information collected through the Platform (name, email, phone, event details, veteran information) is used solely for the purpose of operating the Platform, facilitating community engagement, and administering the sweepstakes. The Sponsor will not sell personal information to third parties. Contact information included in event submissions will be displayed publicly. By submitting content, you consent to its public display upon approval.

11. Intellectual Property

By submitting content to the Platform, you grant the City of Midland and the Midland Chamber of Commerce a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to display, reproduce, and distribute your submitted content in connection with the America250 celebration. You retain ownership of your original content. You represent and warrant that you have the right to grant this license for all content you submit.

12. Prohibited Conduct

• Creating multiple accounts to circumvent moderation or entry limits
• Impersonating another person, veteran, or organization
• Submitting false, misleading, or fraudulent information
• Attempting to exploit, hack, or disrupt the Platform
• Using automated tools (bots, scripts) to interact with the Platform
• Harassing, threatening, or abusing other users or staff
• Uploading malware, viruses, or malicious files

13. Limitation of Liability

The Platform is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind. The Sponsor shall not be liable for any damages arising from use of the Platform, including but not limited to loss of data, service interruptions, or content moderation decisions. The Sponsor is not responsible for user-submitted content or the accuracy of information provided by third parties.

14. Modifications to Terms

The Sponsor reserves the right to update these Terms & Conditions at any time. Continued use of the Platform after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised terms.

15. Governing Law

These Terms & Conditions are governed by the laws of the State of Texas. Any disputes shall be resolved in the state or federal courts located in Midland County, Texas.

16. Contact

If you have questions about these terms, contact us at our contact page or write to: City of Midland, 300 N Loraine St, Midland, TX 79701.