Bloomingdale, IL —To celebrate its 50 years, NOW is giving back in a big way — $500,000 in prize money for consumers who find one of 50 Gold-capped bottles carrying a Willy Wonka-inspired golden ticket inside that will earn each bearer $10,000. Retailers and their staff are eligible to play along.

Amber Cerda, senior marketing manager, said 1 million Gold Cap supplement bottles are being distributed within the 50 states, covering many of the most popular SKUs and some new ones and timed to coincide with traditional sales patterns. It all should be in distribution by the end of Q2. The promotion runs through Oct. 1 and will receive unprecedented consumer advertising support from NOW, driving customers to stores to look for the product.

The NOW websitewww.nowfoods.com/celebratenowcarries a store locator tool for consumers to find out which stores carry the products. “We’re hoping this will be a way to drive excitement in their stores as well as traffic,” she says.

The company’s charitable giving will also increase by 50% this year — adding $1 million to normal giving, says CEO Jim Emme. NOW’s been a supporter of Vitamin Angels from its inception and leans to charities it considers “self-enabling,” teaching recipients skills they need to take care of themselves going forward. Employees have a say in which charities are chosen and decisions are made by a committee comprising Richard family members and members of the leadership team.

The promotion was conceived by Dan Richard, VP of product and sales for NOW. Richard is the son of the late Elwood Richard, who founded the company in 1968.

Advertising through the year will focus on a theme representing a NOW value: January's theme is Healthy Products. February is Value. March is Partnerships. April is Sustainability. May is Family. June is Advocating. July is Outstanding Employees. August is Quality. September is Innovation. October is Giving. November is Making a Difference. December is Looking Ahead.