CreateAthon design blitz Oct. 23 helps seven Waterloo Region agencies

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WATERLOO REGION, Oct. 16, 2014: Put a bunch of talented graphic-design students in a room, throw in some pizza, and 24 hours later, seven charitable agencies walk away with a free package of fresh ideas for branding and marketing improvements.

CreateAthons occur around the world Oct. 23, and this is the successful format for the Waterloo Region event at Conestoga College. 

“As a not-for-profit agency that focuses on adult literacy, marketing ourselves is a constant challenge,” says Carol Risidore, executive director of The Literacy Group of Waterloo Region, a participating agency this year. “We do not have the skills and expertise to create the right message or materials, nor do we have the operating funds to hire someone to create them for us.

“Having the opportunity to participate in CreateAthon will be a great learning experience for our team.”

The other participating agencies are:  Langs; the Family Counselling Centre of Cambridge and North DumfriesLissard Housethe Wilmot Family Resource CentreHouse of Friendship; and KidSport Kitchener-Waterloo.

“They may have never had any budget for marketing, they may never have had a never had a logo, or a  website,” says Jolene MacDonald, co-founder of Two Blonde Chicks Inc., the Kitchener marketing-and-design firm that sponsors the Waterloo Region CreateAthon. “They get this big opportunity to have all this stuff. Just to see their faces the next day is pretty awesome.”

Capacity Canada is partner in the event. Almost 20 agencies applied for this year’s program. Some want help promoting specific events; others want design updates to websites, logos, brochures and posters.

The job falls to second- and third-year students in Conestoga College’s graphic-design program. They begin in the morning of Oct. 23 and work around the clock, laying out ideas on banks of computers.

They are joined by MacDonald and Two Blonde Chicks co-founder Julie Knowles. John Balkjas, a graphics design professor at Conestoga, and Matt Miller, a Capacity Canada executive-in-residence with a graphics and marketing background, also take part in the blitz.

At breakfast on Oct. 24, the students present the results to the client agencies.

Last year, CreateAthon provided eight Waterloo Region agencies with about $100,000 worth of marketing-and-design work. Graphic-design students experience the kind of quick-thinking, tight-deadline challenges they might face in a real design house.

Bill Davidson, executive director of Langs, says he is looking forward to seeing what the event does to raise the profile of his organization.

“CreateAthon is an ideal opportunity for us to act on this strategic direction and help brand our Celebrating Women event,” Davidson says. “What a rare gift this is to bring the not-for-profit sector together with very talented community partners.’’

 

For further information, please contact:

Matt Miller, Executive in Residence,
Capacity Waterloo Region,
[email protected]
Office: 519-513-2606 x6
Mobile: 226-749-3893

Jolene MacDonald, Creative Director/Partner,
Two Blonde Chicks Inc.
[email protected]
519-585-0036

John Baljkas Professor, Graphic Design,
Conestoga College,
[email protected]
519-748-5220 x3431

Capacity Canada brings together the ideas, people and resources that drive social change. Our vision is to change lives through courageous community organizations. We are accomplishing this by providing non-profit leaders new resources and professional support that enhances leadership skills, stimulates cross-sector collaboration, promotes knowledge sharing, and encourages social innovation.

 

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