story: strangers join talents to help chernobyl children

CCPI supporters Derek Casari and Perry Norton recently surprised us with the gift of radio public service announcements (PSAs). Click on the player below to listen to one, and then read on for the story of how two strangers merged their talents to help children affected by Chernobyl. (If you're reading this post on email you may need to click here to see the audio player.)

 

Perry (pictured left) is the woman behind PanRight Productions, a one stop studio that creates audio for commercials, games, audio books, podcasts, and PSAs. Her mission is to "be a champion for artists and non profits for whom being heard is the most important task." In the spirit of last month's holidays, Perry offered her clients a special gift -- a free radio PSA for the favorite charity of the first 5 clients to respond.

Derek was first in line, requesting a PSA to benefit Chernobyl Children's Project International.   Derek is a systems engineer for 20th Century Fox post production in LA. Several years ago, Derek's six year old son Aaron died of a rare form of liver cancer. (With Derek's permission, here's a picture of Aaron and his grandfather at right.)  Derek told me that two years of grueling chemo regimens and sleepless nights spent at Children's Hospital of LA -- and the ultimate loss of Aaron, who so desired to grow up -- destroyed his marriage, his finances, and almost his  mind.  His search to find meaning in his son's death led Derek to volunteer for sustainable business incubator Green2Gold. And he found a special attraction to CCPI programs that help seriously ill children, and an admiration for CCPI founder Adi Roche.

Derek and Perry worked together to develop the public service announcement above, and presented it as a gift. This story is a reminder that doing good is not always about donating cash. It can be about thinking creatively, mining your talents, and combining your talents with other's. CCPI could never have afforded to pay for the creation of these PSAs on our own.  And now you can help us get them out to be heard.

The PSA comes in 15 and 30 second versions, and a one minute version.  Westwood One and Beasley Broadcast Group have already agreed to run them.  Here's how you can help:

Blogger? Post our PSAs -- email me and I'll send them to you.

Radio station or media company contacts?   Ask them to run the PSAs.

None of the above?  Click on "email this link" at the bottom of this post and spread the word.  As Perry says -- "being heard is the most important task."  And the children affected by Chernobyl are well overdue to be heard.  This post is in memory of Aaron Casari.

Comments

[Kathy Ryan]

Since I posted this story, Derek has come back to me to tell me that KCBS AM, and KLLC FM, and KITS FM in San Francisco have agreed to run the PSAs. Thank you! Kathy