UNITED WAY OF GREATER ST. LOUIS ANNOUNCES
$65.5 MILLION CAMPAIGN GOAL
United Way of Greater St. Louis has announced that the goal for its 2008
fundraising campaign is $65.5 million. The goal is an “ambitious, but realistic” one given the challenging economic times,
according to campaign co-chairs Andy Taylor,
chairman and CEO of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, and Doug Albrecht, chairman of Bodley Group and former
chairman, CEO, and president of Centric Group.
“Tough economic times are affecting
everybody, in our region and across the country,” Taylor stated.
“But they strike the hardest at people who may find themselves out of a job, without health insurance, or a safe place to live. These are our neighbors, and they need our help. We need everyone who can to lend a hand.”
The 2008 fundraising campaign kicked off on Sept. 3 and continues through early November. Approximately 2,500 employers in the 16-county region participate in United Way fundraising campaigns. In addition to contributing through an employer-sponsored campaign, individuals can pledge a
donation by calling (314) 421-0700 or visiting
www.givetodayhelptoday.org.
VOICES FOR CHILDREN BENEFIT RAISES RECORD $195,000
Nearly 300 guests attended the Third Annual Voices for Children Benefit in support of the legal and social advocacy provided to abused and neglected children placed in the St. Louis foster care system. This year’s benefit raised a record $195,000, a 60 percent increase from last year.
Priscilla Hill-Ardoin, a retired AT&T executive, received the first-ever Community Superhero Award for her years of service and efforts to champion education, diversity and children’s causes in the
St. Louis community. The award was presented by her son, Evan Ardoin,
president of the Voices for Children Friends Committee and community outreach assistant at the St. Louis Rams.
Voices for Children speaks on behalf of children in St. Louis’ foster care
system. The organization’s teams of child advocates—attorneys paired with a volunteer advocate—provide foster children with legal
representation and social advocacy in court and in the community.
PARENTS AS TEACHERS
NATIONAL CENTER ANNOUNCES TRAINING PROGRAM TO FIGHT CHILDHOOD OBESITY
Parents as Teachers National Center has created a new program to help tackle the issue of childhood
obesity. The High 5 for Kids program is a Web-based course designed to give early childhood professionals tools and strategies they need to help parents improve the eating and fitness habits of their preschoolers.
“Parents are the key factor in establishing healthy eating and fitness habits in children,” stated Kerry Caverly, professional development director with Parents as Teachers National Center. “With this research-based program, we are helping professionals discuss what can be a sensitive subject for families: improving the diet and overall fitness of all family members in ways that will have both immediate and long-term benefits.”
The High 5 for Kids course provides simple steps for incorporating healthy habits into daily routines, such as increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables, limiting the amount of time children watch TV, and increasing physical activity. Parents as Teachers National Center offers the Web-based training for $50, which includes resource materials, visit plans and parent handouts.
SIUE AWARDS CONTRACTS FOR COMPUTING CENTER
Southern Illinois University’s board of trustees has awarded more than $500,000 in
contracts to three Illinois companies and two Missouri companies for construction of a
secondary computing center on the Edwardsville campus. Funding for the work will come from the information technology fee and library operating funds.
The board awarded the following contracts:
$140,968 to Limbaugh Construction Co. of Granite City, Ill.,
to build a steel frame building
$196,577 to CDW Government Inc. of Vernon Hills, Ill.,
for an integrated server rack system
$32,500 to CK Power of St. Louis for a backup generator
and a transfer switch
$77,938 to Automatic Fire Sprinkler LLC of Normal for a fire
suppression system
$55,500 for a packaged air cooled chiller
The center will provide backup data storage facilities for the main computing center on campus, work space for the Computer Refresh Program, and secure storage for some of Lovejoy Library’s special collections. The 3,200-square-foot center was expected to be
completed by the end of August. http://www.siue.edu/marketingandcommunications/download.shtml
NATAS TO INDUCT THREE LOCAL TELEVISION
VETERANS INTO SILVER CIRCLE AT EMMY AWARDS CEREMONY
The Mid-America Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) will induct three local television professionals into its Silver Circle at the 32nd Mid-America Emmy® Awards presented by Lumière Place Casino & Hotels on Oct. 4.
Every year NATAS inducts television
professionals with 25 or more years of
outstanding service in television into the prestigious Silver Circle. The 2008 Silver Circle inductees are Larry Conners,
co-anchor of “News 4 St. Louis at 5 and 10 p.m.” at KMOV-TV St. Louis; Michael Dorman of Charter Communications St. Louis; and Spencer Koch of KTVI
St. Louis.
Since moving to St. Louis in 1975, Conners has won numerous awards and honors for his work in the community and in local
broadcasting. In addition, he serves as
honorary chairperson of KMOV’s annual Kids Caring 4 Kids toy and food drive.
Dorman has been serving the television industry for 46 years as a chief video/broadcast-maintenance engineer. A strong believer in supporting education, Dorman designed, built and engineered a fully functioning
television studio at Pattonville High School.
Koch has made significant contributions to St. Louis television since assuming leadership of KTVI in 1995. He turned KTVI into one of the most-watched St. Louis stations for local news and the top-rated Fox Station in the country. Under his leadership, the station sponsors charitable events that raise millions of dollars.
YWCA HOSTS CIRCLE OF WOMEN LUNCHEON TO BENEFIT SEXUAL ASSAULT CENTER
YWCA Metro St. Louis raised $54,500 at its Circle of Women luncheon to benefit the YWCA St. Louis Regional Sexual Assault Center. More than 500 people attended the invitation-only luncheon at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Clayton, Mo. The event brought together assault victims, crisis response
professionals and those who support the YWCA’s core mission to strengthen the
community through racial justice and the social and economic empowerment of women and youth.
Incidences of sexual violence are the most under-reported crimes in the United States, according to a YWCA news release. One in seven women in Missouri has been the victim of sexual assault and rape.
“The statistics on sexual assault are
staggering and we should remember that behind those numbers are women and men whose lives have been forever changed by the trauma they’ve experienced,” stated Marian Nunn, luncheon co-chairwoman and chief operating officer of THF Realty.
The Sexual Assault Center assists more than 1,000 victims annually. Its sexual assault response team works collaboratively with
St. Louis City and County police officers, area hospitals, the prosecuting attorney’s office and other victim service agencies. Crisis
services are provided at no cost to victims.
GRAND CENTER ANNOUNCES FILMMAKING INVITATIONAL
In an effort to support local independent filmmakers, Grand Center and radio station KDHX-FM are collaborating to host Grand Center Shorts, a filmmaking invitational that will premiere on Oct. 16. Grand Center and KDHX have asked five filmmakers to produce a four- to seven-minute short film that uses the arts district as a backdrop.
The films will be shown first at the Kranzberg Arts Center on Oct. 16 and again during Cinema St. Louis’ St. Louis International Film Festival in November.
The films chosen for Grand Center Shorts are as follows:
“The Renaissance of the River City" by Carson Minow, a short documentary on
the cultural and social restoration of
St. Louis City.
“The Watcher" by Richard Taylor,
a chronicle of the comings and goings of everyday people through the eyes of a Gargoyle that sits on the cornice of a
Grand Center building.
“Urban Motions" (working title) by Zlatko Cosic, an experimental movie taking the audience through an abstract journey by using dance and the architecture of Grand Center to tell the story.
“Coda" by Kenny Kinds, a story about the things that drive us and how memories actively shape us every day.
“Rumor Central" (working title) by Joe Millitzer and Katie Johannes Millitzer, an
animated film noir that combines hand-drawn illustration and computer animation.
KDHX selected the filmmakers based on their past works and diversity of projects and talents. The completed films in the series will include one experimental, one animated, one documentary and two narrative genres. Each director will be paid $1,000 as part of the commission in an effort to help move independent film production forward in the St. Louis community while connecting a new audience with the filmmakers.
INDEPENDENCE CENTER RECEIVES
$500,000 DANFORTH FOUNDATION CHALLENGE
Independence Center, a program for adults with severe and persistent
mental illness, has announced a $500,000 matching challenge from the Danforth Foundation. When matched by gifts and pledges received by Dec. 31 from other donors, the Danforth Challenge will complete the Independence Center’s “Rebuilding Futures, Restoring Lives” Capital Campaign, achieving the goal of $3.7 million.
“The support of the Danforth Foundation had already been incredibly meaningful to us, but the timing of this challenge brightens the outlook for successfully
concluding our drive by year’s end, despite a difficult economic environment,” stated Independence Center Executive Director Mike Keller. “The challenge’s most
immediate effect was to stimulate a $100,000 commitment from the William A. Kerr Foundation, leaving us with $400,000 in gifts and pledges needed to reach our goal. We are calling on many more individuals, area corporations and foundations in an effort to meet the challenge and complete this phase of our development effort.”
The campaign provides development costs for Independence Center’s new clubhouse facility in St. Louis’ Central West End. The center provides an array of services to support those living with schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder and
severe depression.
MERS/GOODWILL ACHIEVES FOUR-STAR RATING ON SOUND FISCAL MANAGEMENT
Charity Navigator, an independent charity evaluator, has awarded MERS/Goodwill a coveted four-star rating for sound fiscal management for the second consecutive year. Only 17 percent of the charities rated received at least two consecutive four-star evaluations.
“This ‘exceptional’ designation . . . differentiates MERS Missouri Goodwill Industries from its peers and demonstrates to the public it is worthy of their trust,” according to Charity Navigator.
MERS/Goodwill is a nonprofit agency that provides for the vocational needs of individuals who have barriers to employment through disability or
economic disadvantage.
S.M. WILSON DONATES $57,000 FROM CHARITY GOLF TOURNAMENT TO BENEFIT DREAM FACTORY OF ST. LOUIS
Construction management firm S.M. Wilson & Co. has donated $57,000 to the Dream Factory of St. Louis to help seriously ill
children realize their dreams. The money was raised at the S.M. Wilson 2nd Annual Charity Golf Tournament held at Glen Echo Country Club in St. Louis. Money raised at the tournament will help grant the dreams of 16 children who are battling serious illnesses.
“We’re so pleased with the abundance of generosity for these deserving kids,” stated Scott Wilson, president of S.M. Wilson. “The success of this tournament was well beyond our expectations, and now we will have to aim even higher for next year.”
The Dream Factory of Saint Louis,
founded in 1983, is one of 32 nonprofit Dream Factory chapters around the country. The St. Louis Chapter has granted more than
1,745 dreams.
RHCDA RECEIVES $25,000 GRANT FROM NATIONAL CITY BANK
National City Bank has awarded the Regional Housing and Community Development Alliance a $25,000 grant to be paid over three years for its CDC Capacity Building and Collaborative Grant Program. The program provides professional development to the staff and board members of local community development corporations, including individualized technical assistance and group training classes.
The organizations in RHCDA’s Collaborative Grant Program receive enhanced capacity-building technical assistance coupled with operating support grants. Since the collaborative was started, the program has awarded more than $2 million in operating
support grants to 15 local organizations. In turn, these
organizations have successfully developed more than 1,200 homes and apartments, representing $182 million of new capital investments in St. Louis-area neighborhoods.
DANCE ST. LOUIS COLLABORATES WITH ST. LOUIS
SPORTS TEAMS TO LAUNCH “MOST BEAUTIFUL SPORT IN THE WORLD” CAMPAIGN
For the first time in St. Louis history, Dance St. Louis has joined forces with the St. Louis Cardinals, St. Louis Rams and St. Louis Blues to launch a public service announcement
campaign that unites dance and sports as part of its 2008/2009 season announcement.
This past summer, Dance St. Louis launched The Most Beautiful Sport in the World campaign featuring creative billboards and print ads of St. Louis professional athletes juxtaposed alongside professional dancers in action shots. The ads include quotes from St. Louis Rams linebacker Chris Draft, former St. Louis Blues forward Jamal Mayers, and
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Rick Ankiel, each describing the indistinguishable qualities of their sport and dance.
“There is no denying St. Louis is a true sports market,” commented Michael Uthoff, executive and artistic director of Dance St. Louis. “But the city is also recognized nationally, and even internationally, for its strong support and display of the arts. The Most Beautiful Sport in the World PSA campaign is a clever and innovative vehicle that not only brings together these two strong areas, but also introduces dance to an entirely new audience while spicing it up to those who’ve always supported it.”
Other campaign partners include HEC-TV, KMOX-AM, KEZK-FM, Y98-FM, St. Louis Magazine and American Airlines.
|
