CABOT, Vt., Nov. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The top performers in the second round of Cabot Creamery Cooperative's Reward Volunteers 2.0^® have been announced, and the results are nothing short of inspiring. Their combined efforts, from September 27 through October 27, totaled 3,398 hours of volunteer work, benefiting 183 non-profit organizations across the United States.

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"We are excited to record another strong month from our Reward Volunteers 2.0 participants," says Cabot Director of Marketing/Integrated Services, Jen Neary who worked with Chalo, Inc., a Vermont-based startup, to create the Reward Volunteers 2.0 iPhone app and web widget. "This month's results brings our total participation to 6,899 hours of community service by 247 individuals volunteering for 275 different organizations. It's great to see the program growing, and to read about all of the outstanding volunteer activity from our participants."

Reward Volunteers uses Facebook Connect to enable participants to log their volunteer activity and share the volunteer experience with friends via Facebook, email, and the app itself. The more hours logged, the more 'likes' and 'comments' received, and emails opened, the more likely participants are to win prizes each month, now until January 27, 2013, the day the final grand prizes are awarded. Reward Volunteers 2.0 is the second phase of the program; the first ran from February 14 though July 7, 2012.

"The spirit of community service is such an integral part of the cooperative model," Neary said. "Our farm-family owners celebrate their cooperative roots by donating their scant free-time to organizations throughout New England and New York. We hope to inspire others to donate their time to a local charity or non-profit by rewarding those who give selflessly to their communities."

The October winners have been selected, and will receive a variety of prizes from Reward Volunteers 2.0 co-sponsors.

"Thank you! I am very excited to have been chosen," said Gisele P., a volunteer at The Iris Network and the winner of the Liberty Hill Farm Inn vacation. "Helping out blind and visually impaired individuals in Maine through the Iris Network has given me many rewards personally. Recognition through Reward Volunteers is an amazing gift for my family and for me. I truly appreciate it!"

This month's winning organization, From the Group Up Therapeutic Horsemanship, will receive a $1,000 donation from Cabot. "Generosity and hard work are the elements that keep non-profit organizations such as ours alive," said Andrea Colella, Director of From the Ground Up Therapeutic Horsemanship. "Our organization is very fortunate to receive both from our volunteers and from companies such as Cabot Creamery. Thank you very much!"

Other October winners include Reward Volunteers 2.0 users from across the nation who've won: Cabot Cheddar gift basket; National Cooperative Grocers Association $100 Gift Card; Farm Families Basket; King Arthur Flour $100 Gift Card; copies of Sending Milk and Hope for Women Greeting card packs; and a vacation to Liberty Hill Farm in Rochester, Vermont. A full list of winners and prizes can be found below.

October Reward Volunteers 2.0 Winners
$1,000 Prize for Non-Profit Organization
From the Ground Up Therapeutic Horsemanship, Inc. – New York

$500 Prize for Reward Volunteers User
Bob H., Texas – DFW Wildlife Coalition

Liberty Hill Farm Vacation
Gisele P., Maine – The Iris Network

King Arthur Flour $100 Gift Card
Jennifer P., Massachusetts – Girl Scouts of Central and Western MA

NCGA $100 Gift Card
Meghan S., Illinois – One Brick

Farm Families Basket (Freund Farm CowPots, Neighborly Farms of VT Cheese Variety Pack, Taylor Brothers Farm Maple Syrup)
Gentry P., Michigan – Hospice Advantage

$75 Cabot Cheese Gift Basket
Roy P., California – Pacific Southwest Railway Museum Association

Sending Milk Books & Hope for Women Greeting Cards
Beth R., Illinois – Critter Camp Exotic Pet Sanctuary
Jacqueline C., Maryland - Good Knight Child Empowerment Network
Eric M., Virginia – Spotsylvania Volunteer Fire Department
Melinda M., Connecticut – Huntington's Disease Society of America

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

One of the three foodbanks nationally who were among the first to use the Reward Volunteer app, The Community FoodBank of New Jersey-Southern Branch received 10,000 pounds of Cabot product within two days following hurricane Sandy's devastation of the area.  Much like its rapid response efforts to support those affected by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Cabot shipped product to The Southern Branch in order to address the much-needed dairy products to victims through five shelters located in Atlantic City and surrounding communities.  Additional shipments of Cabot products are en route to Rockland County relief agencies, Staten Island disaster relief organizers, Long Island relief agencies, and the New York City Food Bank to support the recovery effort. 

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
(888) 214.9444 or bschiers@cabotcheese.coop

SOURCE Cabot Creamery Cooperative