Anaheim, Calif., April 30, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Contiki (www.contiki.com), the original youth travel brand for 18-35s is thrilled to announce its exciting new collaboration with Los Angeles-based MTV stars The Buried Life, by celebrating the launch of 'The #5thMember Search' online contest! Millennials can share their stories through social media channels, giving them a chance to win an epic trip to Italy with Jonnie Penn, Ben Nemtin, Dave Lingwood and Duncan Penn. These young celebrities will personally select 1 lucky winner who will join them on Contiki's Easy Pace 8-day Italian Espresso itinerary (where they will enjoy Backstage Pass Exclusives such as a guided tour through a Tuscan winery and exploring the iconic cities of Rome, Florence, and Venice.
In 2006, The Buried Life, whose members hail from Victoria, Canada, embarked on a 2-week road trip across North America before they returned to university. That brief road trip was transformed into an incredible journey that continues to this day. The foursome made a list of '100 Things to Do Before You Die' and for every list item they accomplished, they helped a stranger do something on their list. Since then, they've crossed off 'Make a TV Show' (produced 26 MTV USA episodes which aired in 110 countries), 'Write a #1 New York Times Bestselling Book', 'Play Ball with President Obama', and 'Outfit a Teenage Girl with her First Bionic Arm'. They have also given motivational presentations at over 100 North American college campuses and several TEDx Talks across Europe. Along the way, they've encouraged millions to believe that anything is possible.
"This is a genuine collaboration since we share similar values of living life to the fullest and a call to adventure, so Contiki is aligning with The Buried Life to finish off their bucket list and experiencing our epic trips around the globe," says Marie Anne MacRae, Global VP, Strategic Partnerships, Contiki, "We're absolutely thrilled to share this journey with these four inspiring young individuals who have created a loyal online community, so we're committed to join forces and help more people fulfill their dreams."
"Our brands are closely aligned since we started The Buried Life in a garage in 2006 to help people and see what life has to offer," says Duncan Penn, "With our collaboration with Contiki, we get to do both and we're looking forward to our Italy adventure."
"The 5th Member Search"
Millennials can submit three (3) online entries each on The Buried Life's social media channels including Facebook - which includes 1.3 million fans - Twitter and Instagram. They can share their stories and photos on why they want to be the 5th member and join The Buried Life on Contiki's Italy trip by entering the contest through their Facebook page: http://bit.ly/1ldV6ue. Candidates will also need to include the hashtag #5thMember. The Buried Life will review the most compelling submissions, personally select the one winner, and both brands will make the announcement on May 8th.
"People ask us all the time to tag along on the road and we thought - why not add a 5th Member?," says Ben Nemtin, "Contiki threw in the hoverboards (Disclaimer: there are no hoverboards.. there is, however, an amazing free trip to Italy) and we were off to the races!"
In line with its one-for-one brand, The Buried Life will also be helping someone in Italy. Whether this intention takes the form of helping a stranger they meet in Italy cross something off their list, or bringing a student from the US to Italy to help them achieve something meaningful they want to do before they die, The Buried Life foursome will continue to make helping others a key part of their journey.
For more information on Contiki, visit www.contiki.com. Follow us on Facebook and on Twitter with our #NOREGRETS hashtag and the #5thMember Search hashtag.
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About The Buried Life
Ben Nemtin is fan of long boarding, traveling, neon colors and balls, Nemtin is a budding entrepreneur, known among his friends as a regular "Ari Gold, Jr.", always making moves for the team.
Dave Lingwood once trekked seven hours through an intense jungle and zip-lined over raging rivers carrying a backpack, camera bag and 15 ft long two-by-four to deliver needed clothing and supplies to an indigenous village in the Costa Rican mountains. Lingwood's work has taken him from the African safaris to the Trinidadian carnivals to auditioning for Cirque de Soleil.
Duncan Penn is the eldest Penn brother and honors graduate, founded an NGO with the goal of introducing soccer to kids around the world who have experienced the ravages of war. With three others, Penn successfully delivered 1000 soccer balls and pairs of cleats to impoverished children in Ecuador and helped build two soccer fields near Mount Chimborozo. Penn's work has inspired Rwanda and Uganda to adopt similar programs and now working towards building eco-sustainable soccer fields.
Jonnie Penn, who spent his high school days filming snowboard and skate videos with his friends, became an award-winning filmmaker by age 18. The accomplished activist, philosopher and writer was chosen to represent Canada at the Oxford University Debate Championships.
About Contiki Vacations
Contiki is the world leader in youth travel experiences, a brand that is all about discovery, epic moments and making every second count. Our journeys unlock the local way of life in each and every destination we visit, and with over 200 trips in more than 50 countries, we see every day as the start of a new adventure.
Contiki is a part of a joint initiative with The TreadRight Foundation, a not-for-profit foundation established by The Travel Corporation to encourage sustainable tourism within our own family of brands and in the places we visit. To date, TreadRight has donated more than US$2 million to sustainable tourism projects around the world. To find out more about our work with TreadRight, visit: www.treadright.org
A photo accompanying this release is available at:
http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=25053
