FUNdraisers

Our nonprofit clients are busy busy busy this time of year, and it doesn’t slow down as the holiday season approaches. I had the opportunity to be part of two wonderful fundraisers this fall:  the Komen Orange County Race for the Cure and Working Wardrobes’ Blue Jeans and the Blues. One overall thing I observed at both these events: our nonprofits and the community are truly amazing. Despite the economy, people are still coming in droves to support these ever-important causes. To put it simply: it’s inspirational.

The Race was just as magnificent as ever this year. HKA worked harder than ever to secure media exposure for this event and I’m proud to say we were successful, despite the fact that several media outlets had shut down since last year’s event (including KDOC’s Daybreak OC and Your Cancer today). The Orange County Register’s supplement and Race day story captured the event and stories of survivors.

And survivors’ stories are powerful. These women warriors captivate me during the Survivor Tribute each year. One woman revealed that she was  recently diagnosed and currently going through treatment, but at the end said she’d “always wanted to be a blonde,” then promptly yanked off her wig and waved it around amid cheers from her fellow survivors and everyone watching. I still get chills thinking about that moment.

All smiles after the Race!

Exactly one week after the Race, Working Wardrobes held their first ever Blue Jeans & the Blues fundraising event. I am in love with Working Wardrobes’ creativity in its fundraisers. While the Black Tie & Tennies was a favorite of mine last year, this year’s more relaxed gala was just as inspiring. People had a grand time enjoying barbeque, dancing to tunes from sultry songstress Pamela G, and raising money through the casino, opportunity drawings and live auction. 944 Magazine was there to capture great moments of the evening. And of course, team HKA was there in style:

An interesting twist: One of the live auction items was donated by chef Martin Gilligan, a Working Wardrboes success story, who had shared with guests how he had overcome alcohol and substance abuse to become a successful chef at the Kyoto Grand Hotel in Los Angeles. His story touched the hearts of so many at the event, including mine.

Both these organizations change lives and save lives.  And we love being part of that!

Another Happy New Girl

It’s hard to believe that I’m finishing up my fourth week at HKA; even harder to believe that I’m actually contributing to the blog that I’ve followed religiously since applying for the coordinator position back in January. I am so lucky to be here.

When I graduated from California State University, Fullerton last May with my bachelor’s degree in communications, I was naïve enough to think that because someone gave me a diploma, someone else would give me my dream job. It wasn’t long before I was shaken from my reverie due to a highly competitive job market and a perpetually plummeting economy. After months of searching, the hunt started to feel more like internet dating. I found myself apprehensive about every job posting thinking, “Could I really be into you? Would you be interested in me?” Not to mention the rejection (Oh, the rejection!). Until one day, I stumbled upon my soul mate, HKA.

I have absolutely fallen in love with this office and the public relations industry. My co-workers have welcomed me so warmly into an incredible company culture that I am grateful to be a part of. I would be lost without their patience and thoughtful instruction. It is a privilege to be among such an eclectic bunch whose talents and abilities extend far beyond public relations.

From learning the ins and outs of PR to discovering the infamous dessert man (who drops by annually to deliver goodies to the staff), everyday is new and exciting. I can honestly say that I am exactly where I want to be and so thankful that Hilary and the entire HKA staff have given me the opportunity to be a part of this amazing team.

Things are Pretty Suite at HKA

It has been an eventful month-and-a-half at HKA. Lots of exciting things going on, especially one that I’d like to share: we have added Suite Solutions to our client roster!

Suite Solutions provides consumer bankruptcy (BK) attorneys nationwide with the reports  and records

Candy Marshall, President and Founder, Suite Solutions

needed to properly file a bankruptcy. The company is led by Candy Marshall, a truly fascinating woman and entrepreneur. She completely innovated the way BK lawyers access consumer credit reports.

And now HKA is ready to show the world how successful and innovative Suite Solutions and Candy are! We’re excited to have Suite Solutions join us.

Check them out at www.suitesolutions.info.

Ruby’s Raiders Rock!

Just a few days ago, on Saturday, April 25, the annual MS Walk took place at UCI. And, just as we have for the past 10 years, we fielded our team, RUBY’S RAIDERS. This wasn’t our biggest year, as far as team members or money raised. But it was one of the most rewarding years for me, personally. I’d love to tell you why . . .

We had close to 40 walkers this year and each was very special to me, not the least being my co-captain at the walk and in my life, my husband Layne. And as each team member strolled up to our team tent, I felt pure joy, and incredibly honored, that they made this a Saturday morning priority. Friends, current and prior HKA’ers, PR colleagues, NAWBO buddies, Lions Club pals, current and former clients, vendors, the list goes on. Some had a loved one or friend with MS and felt a personal connection to the MS Society’s quest to raise money for research and patient services. Most, however, were there simply responding to my invitation to be a Ruby’s Raider and support my quest. Being surrounded by a group of people like this – all wearing ruby red Ruby’s Raider shirts! – is about as good as it gets.

Presenting the 2009 Ruby's Raiders

So who is this Ruby? Some people have guessed the team is somehow tied to the nostalgic restaurant chain bearing the same name, but not true. Ruby was my mom, an amazingly wonderful woman who suffered terribly from the clutches of MS. I couldn’t have asked for a better mom, but I sure could have asked for a few more years for her without the devastating effects of MS. My mom has passed away and there’s nothing more I can do for her. But in her memory, I’m trying to do what I can to support the vital work of the MS Society.

Water tastes especially good with the biodegradable Ruby's Raiders BioGreen sports water bottle! Thanks Steve!

On Saturday morning, we donned our red shirts and grabbed our brand-new Ruby’s Raiders BIODEGRADABLE water bottles generously provided by our client Steve Finch of Cal Springs (maker of BioGreen biodegradable sports water bottles). Go ahead, check them out at www.biogreenbottles.com and you can even buy them here on Amazon). Our team members chatted (I spotted at least one new great connection being made), posed for our team pic and then set off on the short course through the pretty UCI campus. Our team also had three pooches, a baby, a toddler and several pre-teens and teens. We were multi-generational, multi-ethnic, multi-gender – and 100% perfect!!

Here are the HKA Hotties, check us out!

Oh yeah, so how did we do? Our numbers aren’t in yet – and the MS society continues to accept online and offline donations until May 29 as part of our team tally. But I believe we will get close to our $10,000 goal. Besides the 38 folks who walked on April 25, another couple of dozen generously donated to the team as virtual Ruby’s Raiders.

My fabulous Ruby’s Raiders team gives me great reason to smile and to be thankful. I think Ruby is smiling too. (if you want to see more pix, please check our Flickr photos on the side of this blog.)

It IS easy being green!

This is an Earth Day post a day late. BUT — everyday should be Earth Day, am I right? Here are some easy tips/reminders on how you can be a little greener:

• Minimize plastic bag consumption by bringing a reusable bag to the store. Keep a couple in your car for grocery trips. A lot of stores offer incentives for bringing in your own bag now — for example, some Trader Joe’s stores give you a raffle ticket for a monthly gift card drawing.
• “Recycle, Recycle, Recycle!“  That was my high school yearbook teacher’s daily mantra to the class as we printed out numerous drafts of stories and layouts. She was indeed a fanatic and turned me into one, too, and I’m better for it.  We use a lot of paper in our line of work, so it’s especially important to remember to recycle. Or save a stack of scrap paper for notes. Keep a recycling bin right near your trash bin so you don’t even have to think twice when you’re throwing something away.  Recycling just becomes a habit!
• Turn off your lights when you leave the room, and when you leave the office to take lunch or go to a meeting. It’s an easy one to do, but also an easy one to forget.
• Opt for a canteen or reusable bottle (client BioGreen Bottles offers a biodegradable option), and refill it with tap or filtered water. This will save you money and save space in landfills — plastic water bottles are wasteful and require tons of oil and energy to simply be produced (read more on that subject here).  Recycling is awesome, as stated above, but the true key to being green is reducing consumption when you can.
• When you eat fast food, take only one napkin at first. If it’s not enough, no big — just take another. In the past, I’d developed a bad habit of taking a stack of napkins before beginning to eat my single food item.  And I’d feel bad about having a stack left when I was done.
• Same goes with paper towels when you dry your hands in public restrooms — just take enough to get the job done. Or better yet — use the dryer.
• Refuse receipts at ATMs, gas stations, etc. These use to just end up at the bottom of my car anyway, or crumpled up in the seat crevices.

Do you remember that video in elementary school of the singing cartoon dinosaur and his friends, dancing to 80s pop music and encouraging kids to recycle? “Recycle.. Reduce.. Reuse! .. and close the loop. We can close the loop!”

Ok, maybe that was just my school (hey, good to know that these educational videos do affect kids!).  But today, I would recommend the friendly dino to reprioritize his song a bit: Reduce, then Reuse, then Recycle.  Think about it.  If you just apply this to everyday life, you’ll start to recognize new — and easy — ways to be green.