Chicago’s Creative Business Community Unites To Help Hurricanes Harvey and Irma Victims

CHICAGO, Sept. 20, 2017 -- Industry trade organizations representing Chicago’s creative community, including advertising, media, digital, PR, communications, design, content, production and on-camera/VO talent are rallying in a united effort to raise funds for relief in affected areas in the US and Caribbean. The coalition includes the Chicago Advertising Federation (CAF), American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A’s Chicago), American Marketing Association (AMA Chicago), Association of Independent Commercial Producers/Midwest (AICP/Midwest), Chicago Interactive Marketing Association (CIMA), Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists Chicago Local (SAG-AFTRA) and Public Relations Society of America’s Chicago Chapter (PRSA Chicago).

Public Relations Society of America’s Chicago Chapter Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists Chicago Local Chicago Interactive Marketing Association American Association of Advertising Agencies Chicago Advertising Federation All Hands Volunteers Association of Independent Commercial Producers/Midwest American Marketing Association

Combined, these trade groups bring connectivity to thousands of companies and tens of thousands of employees and supporting businesses in the greater Chicagoland area and beyond. “We are excited to join our trade partners to support this important humanitarian effort and glad to see so many marketing and advertising organizations coming together to help,” said Chicago Advertising Federation President Lisa Jillson.  4A’s Agency Relations and Membership Senior Vice President Laurie Stearn added, “The need is great, and I know all of our members are very concerned with the plight of Harvey and Irma victims. We’re thrilled to support this group effort.”

Chicago indy creative agency Schafer Condon Carter is spearheading the launch via digital, social, and traditional media channels. “We were exploring ways to get involved in helping the recovery and the idea of organizing a broader effort came up,” said Tim Condon, CEO of SCC. “We started reaching out to creative community trade groups and found everyone was ready to jump on board.” SCC has kicked off the effort with a $10,000 contribution and hopes the program will be able to raise $500,000.

ChicagoCreativeRelief.org has been created to provide a single, secure online portal to enable companies and individuals to easily and rapidly respond to the humanitarian crisis with cash donations. The designated charity for the effort is All Hands Volunteers, which has already made a pledge for a two-year commitment to aid recovery in the Houston area. All Hands Volunteers (hands.org) has an A+ rating from Charity Watch and a 4/4 rating from Charity Navigator.

“Efforts like this show what America is all about,” said All Hands Volunteers Executive Director/CEO Erik Dyson. “We are thrilled to have the creative community in Chicago come together to help those in need.”

About All Hands

All Hands Volunteers is a US-based, 501(c)3 non-profit organization that addresses the immediate and long-term needs of communities impacted by natural disasters by engaging and leveraging volunteers, partner organizations and local communities. All Hands is a volunteer-powered disaster relief organization dedicated to Rebuilding Hope for people impacted by natural disasters all over the world. Over the last 12 years, we have enabled over 39,000 volunteers to donate 200,000 days impacting 500,000 people worldwide. Our vision is to demonstrate the power and value of volunteer service through the tangible work done, the hope it brings to suffering communities and the transformative experiences it provides for volunteers.

A PDF accompanying this announcement is available at 

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CONTACT:

Mike Grossman
SCC|prism
[email protected]
312.222.7478 (O)
312.560.1171 (M)