Children with physical disabilities are twice as likely to be bullied, impacting their educational, physical and emotional development.* In support of National Bullying Prevention Month this October, Shriners Hospitals for Children® and award-winning actor, model and philanthropist, RJ Mitte, are once again partnering to encourage the public to help #CutTheBull.
Teens and adults alike are encouraged to visit CutTheBull.org and see how they can help create a more positive, accepting environment for kids living with disabilities. There, Shriners Hospitals will announce “RJ's Heroes”, honoring individuals who have helped reduce bullying in their communities. Supporters can also share their anti-bullying stories and purchase #CutTheBull t-shirts, with proceeds going to Shriners Hospitals for Children to provide life-changing care to kids.
Born with cerebral palsy, Mitte was bullied as a child and knows firsthand the effects it can have. The doctors and staff at Shriners Hospitals for Children helped Mitte overcome many of the physical effects of cerebral palsy, which made him stronger and able to succeed despite the bullying. Now a successful actor and model, Mitte wants to help other kids with disabilities who may be experiencing the same thing.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7559151-shriners-hospital-cut-the-bull/
Goodwill Industries International is teaming up with Sony Pictures Entertainment for the release of the animated film, Hotel Transylvania 2, to encourage people across the United States and Canada to do their Halloween shopping at Goodwill’s more than 3,000 stores or online at shopgoodwill.com®. Goodwill and Sony Pictures unite with the message, “Be Your Own Monster,” urging consumers to make Goodwill their Halloween Headquarters for creating unique, affordable costumes -- even costumes based on one of the movie’s characters, such as Dracula, Mavis or Frank. When costume seekers shop at Goodwill, they help people in their communities get job training, earn jobs and access other community-based services. Sony Pictures Animation’s “Hotel Transylvania 2” will be released in theaters nationwide on Friday, September 25, 2015.
The partnership includes a radio and television campaign, which will join the Goodwill brand with the world of “Hotel Transylvania 2.” Characters from the film are featured in the ads, encouraging people to shop at Goodwill for Halloween. There will also be partnership events in up to 50 markets across the nation. Shoppers can support Goodwill by making it their go-to Halloween destination, and the revenues from their purchases will help fund employment services in their local communities. Visit goodwill.org/Halloween to learn more about local partnership events, to generate costume ideas and more.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7057251-goodwill-sony-pictures-unemployment/
The National Climate Assessment: Climate Change Impacts in the United States concludes that warmer and drier conditions have already contributed to increasing wildfire events across the western United States, and future increases are projected in some regions. Already this year, there have been over 44,000 wildfires that have damaged or destroyed almost 8.5 million acres. Long periods of record high temperatures are associated with droughts that contribute to dry conditions and drive wildfires in some areas.
USDA Secretary Vilsack recently stated, “This year, we are experiencing yet another devastating wildfire season, particularly in the drought-ravaged West. Climate change, drought, fuel buildup, insects and disease are increasing the severity of unprecedented wildfire in America's forests and rangelands, which impacts the safety of people, homes and communities. Development close to forests has also increased the threat to property, with more than 46 million homes in the United States, or about 40 percent of our nation's housing, potentially at risk from wildfire.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7607931-fema-national-prepareathon/
As part of National Preparedness Month, FEMA will be sending journalists information each week in September to help spread the word about how people and communities can better prepare for specific disasters before they strike.
As we mentioned in the FEMA news release dated September 1, 2015, each week will focus on a different type of disaster. The inaugural week highlights floods and the steps people and communities should take to better weather the storm when it strikes and recover more quickly once it has passed.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7607931-fema-national-prepareathon/
The Verizon Innovative App Challenge - the no-coding-skills-needed contest that gives middle and high school students a chance to bring their problem-solving app ideas to life - is back! In its fourth year, the App Challenge calls students to gather teams, dream up ideas, and create concepts for mobile apps that could solve problems in their schools and communities.
For the first time, the App Challenge will be open to teams representing non-profit organizations in addition to schools, and even more students will earn free tablets and cash awards for the groups they represent. The deadline for submission is Nov. 24, and the winners will be named in January 2016.
Bill Nye, the Science Guy, is helping Verizon to encourage students nationwide to submit their ideas and to organize their teams now.
Created by the Verizon Foundation in partnership with the Technology Student Association, the App Challenge offers hands-on, experiential learning to ultimately help students envision brighter futures for themselves that they may never have imagined, as business owners, app inventors and professional coders.
To view the multimedia release visit:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7593951-verizon-innovative-app-challenge/
The Ad Council and the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced the launch of a new public service advertisement (PSA) to raise awareness about the importance of being prepared for emergencies. While the PSA targets all communities, We Prepare Every Day is the first in a series of videos that aim to deliver a strong preparedness message by showing people with disabilities taking charge to prepare themselves and their families for emergencies.
The PSA provides equal access to all viewers and includes open captioning, a certified deaf interpreter, and audio description for viewers who are blind or have low vision.
The launch of the PSA coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26, 2015. The ADA prohibits discrimination and ensures equal opportunity for people with disabilities in employment, state and local government services, public accommodations, commercial facilities, transportation and telecommunications. The ADA guarantees the civil rights of more than 56 million Americans.
To view the multimedia news release visit http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7576951-fema-ad-council-emergency-preparedness/
This year, Beneful dog food is celebrating the fifth year of its Dream Dog Park program by supporting dog park projects across the U.S. ranging in size from Chihuahua to Great Dane proportions. Kicking off in June and throughout 2015, the Beneful team is supporting crowdfunding campaigns and working with community leaders and fundraising groups to help bring new dog parks to life or improve existing ones through a combination of financial support, hands-on volunteerism and shared dog park expertise.
“At Beneful, we know dogs and owners share a special bond, and there’s a special place in their hearts for their local dog parks. We’ve experienced it ourselves with our dogs, and we’ve seen it firsthand through our Dream Dog Park program,” said Brent Gleckler, Beneful brand director. “This year, we’re excited for the program to take a new shape with the Dream Dog Park Project, allowing us to reach even more dog-loving communities across the country.”
To view the Multimedia News Release, go http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7551751-beneful-dream-dog-park-project/
Walgreens and the National Urban League announce the return of the Walgreens Wellness Tour with the National Urban League. For the ninth year, Walgreens and the National Urban League are joining together for this community outreach program dedicated to providing free preventative and early detection health services to urban and at-risk communities across the country. Now through November, Walgreens will use the tour to help provide free health tests, assessments, education and consulting services to Americans in select markets nationwide.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7511351-walgreens-wellness-tour/
International automakers today are highlighting their investment and dedication to the U.S. auto industry with the launch of Here For America. This new initiative provides a platform for international automakers to share the story of their ever growing impact on the U.S. economy and the benefits they provide to local communities.
“Today’s U.S. auto industry is diverse, vibrant, competitive and global,” said John Bozzella, president and CEO of Global Automakers and spokesman for Here For America. “From the lab to the lot, international automakers are producing high-quality vehicles for consumers here in America and around the globe using local workers and local resources to invigorate local communities.”
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7223353-global-automakers-here-for-america/
Today leading window manufacturer The VELUX Group and the social business Little Sun announce a partnership with the NGO Plan International to distribute a new solar lamp – the Natural Light solar lamp – in three African countries: Zimbabwe, Zambia and Senegal. The partnership with Plan International will deliver sustainable solar-powered light to people living off-grid in areas without electricity, through a program that involves and empowers local communities.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7519251-velux-plan-partners-solar-africa/
A recent Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) survey found that nearly 60 percent of American adults have not practiced what to do in a disaster by participating in a disaster drill or preparedness exercise at work, school, or home in the past year. Further, only 39 percent of respondents have developed an emergency plan and discussed it with their household. This is despite the fact that 80 percent of Americans live in counties that have been hit with a weather-related disaster since 2007, as reported by the Washington Post. With the number and severity of weather-related disasters on the rise, the America’s PrepareAthon! is an opportunity for individuals, organizations, and communities to take action to prepare for specific hazards through group discussions, drills, and exercises.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7500251-fema-national-prepareathon/
Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. (NASDAQ: ISLE) today announced the winners of its first charitable social media contest awarding a share of $60,000 to six local nonprofit organizations.
“With over 155,000 votes cast in Community Aces Challenge and over 300 applications to participate, we were thrilled with the response to Isle’s first charitable contest on social media,” said Virginia McDowell, Isle’s president and chief executive officer. “As we watched the results and saw how hard all of the charities were working to garner votes, we decided to add a third place prize to the competition.”
“The 150 participating nonprofit organizations registered in the fourth quarter of 2014 and coordinated their own individual voting campaigns between Feb. 1 and March 20, 2015,” said McDowell. “We commend the efforts of all the organizations in the Challenge! Each organization has a mission dedicated to enhance the communities we all share and we look forward to seeing the funds put to use.”
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7490751-isle-of-capri-casinos-community-aces/
