Two PR industry leaders are going that proverbial extra mile to help raise awareness and funds for very worthy causes on behalf of children with special needs.
Peter Debreceny, vice president of corporate relations at Allstate, is on the road as part of a campaign for the American Lung Association of Metropolitan Chicago. Actually,
he's on a bicycle on the road - a 200-mile journey through what he describes as "the tortuous hills of Wisconsin" as part of the annual CowaLUNGa Bike Tour.
Debreceny is riding with a squad dubbed "Udder American Idols" (there appears to be a bovine motif going on here). He left Gurnee, WI, on August 5 and is expected (as of this
writing) to arrive in Milwaukee on August 7.
And if Debreceny doesn't make us forget about Lance Armstrong, he's already made quite an impact: His fundraising for the ride surpassed his goal of $17,500, with the money
going to CampACTION, an overnight camp for children with severe asthma.
Meanwhile, Steve Cody is going to the dogs - but for a great cause. Cody, managing partner and co-founder of the New York agency Peppercom, is offering his pro bono services
to Canine Magic, a volunteer-driven nonprofit that provides training dogs to assist children with autism. Not unlike the seeing-eye dogs for the visually impaired, Canine Magic's
"autism dogs" have provided cognitive development and socialization support for autistic children - many of whom have responded to dogs with greater rapport than to adults.
"Our work with pro bono initiatives such as Canine Magic demonstrates our own commitment to philanthropic causes," explains Cody. "Canine Magic is a unique and moving
organization that we are proud to be supporting."
And Cody clearly loves all things canine - Peppercom was actually named after his dog.
Contacts: Peter Debreceny, [email protected]; Steve Cody, [email protected]