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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Marketing Marathon in Waterloo-Wellington Aids Fort McMurray Agencies
WATERLOO REGION — Oct. 17, 2016: A 24-hour marketing blitz that usually helps community groups in Waterloo Region and Wellington County is focusing on Fort McMurray this year.
CreateAthon Waterloo-Wellington has rebranded itself as CreateAthon Waterloo-Wellington for Fort McMurray 2016 to provide marketing tools to 12 not-for-profit agencies in the Alberta city that was devastated by a wildfire in May.
Held annually in cities around the world, CreateAthons provide millions of dollars worth of marketing work pro bono to agencies in the not-for-profit sector. The Waterloo-Wellington program Oct. 20-21 is hosted by Capacity Canada, in partnership with Alchemy Systems Inc. (a design firm in Guelph, Ont.) and the graphic design program at Conestoga College in Kitchener, Ont.
“Fort McMurray was an easy choice for the Ontario partners,” said Matt Miller, the executive-in-residence at Capacity Canada who is responsible for Capacity’s CreateAthon program. “You can see the damage done to homes and businesses, but there is also a lot of work to be done behind the scenes to help repair the community’s not-for-profit sector.”
Marketing teams made up of Conestoga College students led by Alchemy designers develop concepts for brochures, posters, website improvements and other marketing tools.
The work begins early Oct. 20 at Alchemy’s studios in Guelph and continues late into the night. Teams present concepts to their respective clients Oct. 21 at a “reveal” event video streamed to Fort McMurray.
Capacity Canada’s Fort McMurray partner is FuseSocial, an agency that builds connections among the city’s community groups.
“CreateAthon means these groups won’t fall behind in their marketing needs as they meet the huge demands of the recovery in Fort McMurray,’’ said Bonnah Carey, FuseSocial’s chief social entrepreneur.
Media may visit the working sessions Oct. 20 at Alchemy Systems, 546 Governors Rd., Guelph. Media are also invited to the Oct. 21 reveal event at Alchemy, beginning at 10:15 a.m. EDT.
Quick facts about CreateAthon Waterloo-Wellington for Fort McMurray 2016:
- The 12 benefiting agencies in Fort McMurray include a community golf course and the local hospital foundation;
- CreateAthon is a U.S. based program dating back to South Carolina in 1997;
- Conestoga College’s graphic design students gain experience as designers working under a tight deadline to provide remarkable material for clients;
- The Oct. 21 “reveal” will be streamed from Alchemy’s studios in Guelph to the Redpoll Centre in Fort McMurray, where participating groups will gather to see the work the marketing teams have produced.
CONTACTS:
Cathy Brothers
CEO
Capacity Canada
[email protected]
Office: 519-513-2606, Ext. 1
Mobile: 226-808-7220
Bonnah Carey
Chief Social Entrepreneur
FuseSocial
[email protected]
Office: 780-791-9333
About Capacity Canada: Capacity Canada is a national registered charity that brings together the ideas, people and resources that fuel social innovation. Our vision is to change lives through courageous community organizations that excel. We are accomplishing this by providing non-profit leaders new re-sources and professional support that enhances leadership skills, stimulates cross-sector collaboration, promotes knowledge sharing, and encourages social innovation
About FuseSocial: FuseSocial exists to enhance the capacity of individual Wood Buffalo social profit organizations, to create collective influence for better sector representation and to encourage and facilitate the development of community volunteers and leaders.
