Austin?s Annual Charity Event with KVET

In my travels around the country while building my business I have had the pleasure of meeting some of the greatest community volunteers in our nation. I never missed an opportunity to meet community leaders and learn all I could about every market my company franchised in. One event in particular was a standout; the Austin's Annual Charity Event with KVET.

Part of my mission statement in my company was always to give back to the communities we serve and to be a community based company. I urge all business entrepreneurs to think like this. We are always interested in ways we can help the communities that our team serves. It is for that reason I joined 10's of thousands of others in the Austin Charity Event. When President Bush suggested that all American's put in their 2000 hours, that was not lip service, he meant it. So when we found out that KVET of Austin, Texas and the Highland Mall were putting on this event, we decided to find out which charities were their to receive the many Texans who came to volunteer their time and what our local franchisee could do to help, how we might offer our services or time to help the community.

I wanted to personally thank the Program Director at KVET, a Channel Communications Station and M. Darlene Corum the Retail Marketing Coordinator for Highland Mall in Austin for organizing an event, which every single community in the nation should put on at least twice per year. Who was there; all the local charities, which serve the community day in and day out. As many know funds are in short supply now as the economy has not fully arrived at its natural strength, there is less money to go around.

We talked with some of the most potentially devastating issues of the near future with the spread of AIDS and other serious illnesses. There on hand was a very knowledgeable group of people with Interfaith Care Alliance. We talked with Violet Leos, the Community Resource Director for the Austin Girl Scouts and volunteered our car wash fundraiser services. We made sure to point out that we did not want to replace their number one fundraiser The Delicious Girl Scouts Cookies (especially Chocolate Mints), but if they needed help in a car wash fundraiser to give us a call since I run a carwash business.

Other National Organizations with big local Austin representation were the Salvation Army, always out in force during the holidays, The United Way promoting their seasonal Angel Tree, United States Marine Corp's "Toys for Tots" program and Safe Place for domestic violence and sexual abuse victims. Our company has been active with the Safe Place groups in AZ and NV.

We were very happy to see the Austin State School, which helps mentally retarded adults in training, social services and medical care, this is so important that we do not forget them in our society. Also next to them was the Austin Children's Shelter, which provides emergency shelter and high quality care and a hope for the future for our abandoned kids in the Austin Community. Speaking of Kids, a great program called Insure-a-Kid was present helping kids who need health care insurance, and we would personally like to thank Michael Dell, Founder of Dell Computers for his extremely active role in getting this one off the ground. This is an incredible program and it is our belief this should be duplicated whoever possible, great program, good people and inspirational story of leadership and creativity in the midst of adversity, WOW.

Children's Advocacy Center was there talking about what is being done about something no one wants to talk about, child abuse cases and it's effect on kids. Very heavy subject and extremely dedicated people, a real tear jerker and they are there for the kids and were actively recruiting volunteers and promoting awareness.

Real everyday family issues were there in force also, including; Literacy Austin, teaching people to read, write and speak English; Live in the Game, providing fifth grade girls with adult female mentors; RIF-Reading Is Fundamental, motivating kids to read books; and Capitol Area Homeless Alliance, a day shelter for the homeless and yes the Bush's have volunteered to work in the food lines before and the people there made it clear Austin is serious about find the necessary means to help those people on the street transition into both employment and housing. Also on scene was Lone Star Equine Rescue, which helps improve the lives of equines throughout Texas and neighboring states.

We would like to tell every one how great it was to see Americans sign up to volunteer and do their part, to put in their 2000 hours. And we too felt proud volunteering our team to car wash fundraisers to help the kids groups. We are all in this together; we should never forget that. I urge every American and every small business model to seek out ways you can give back to your city or town and promote an ownership type community. You will be leading by example and doing what's right for the betterment of mankind and the future of your community. Volunteer and even if your town does not have such an awesome event, seek out ways to help. Maybe you can organize all the non-profit service clubs in your town and get others to volunteer too. Think on it.

"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.worldthinktank.net/wttbbs

Ashley limo service at o'hare ..
In The News:

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson has the details on the iOS 18 Photos app: Revamped layout, customizable collections and easier photo organization.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson explains how a VPN boosts privacy by encrypting data and hiding your IP, but more is needed for anonymity.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson explains how NoviOcean's hybrid platform uses wind, solar and wave power to generate clean energy.
Scammers are offering video streaming for funeral services and taking advantage of people who are grieving to get credit card information.
Windows operating system users face more than 600 million cyberattacks every day, according to Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson. The attacks are on the rise.
Natural disasters like Hurricane Helene in North Carolina illustrate the need for aircraft capable of accessing remote or disaster-stricken areas with minimal infrastructure.
Scammers have illustrated that cryptocurrency is not as foolproof as it has promised. Americans lost $5.6 billion to crypto scams in 2023, according to the FBI.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
A humanoid robot made by a Chinese company proposes to redefine personalized elderly care and assistance for people with disabilities.
An architecture firm has unveiled the concept for a 454-foot gigayacht that combines luxury, innovation and style and can accommodate 22 guests and 52 crew members.
For those with visual challenges, there are a number of voice-dialing apps and features to help make phone calls without having to see numbers.
Tech guru Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals some of the iPhone settings you may want to turn off to improve privacy after updating to iOS 18.
Preserving the memories of loved ones through photos, videos and media content have advanced with technology, ensure you can experience those fond memories for years.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about a new AI-powered scam that targets Gmail users and is harder to detect unless you're very cautious.
Tesla's "We, Robot" event reveals the Robovan, Robotaxi and the Optimus humanoid robot. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson examines the company's latest innovations in autonomous technology.
Reports warn of a scam text falsely claiming that recipients aren’t registered to vote. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals what you need to know and five tips to avoid such schemes.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson explores the iOS 18’s new features to hide and lock apps for better privacy and organization.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals how security experts found new malware, Lumma Stealer, spreading via fake verification pages.
First indoor vertical berry farm opens in Virginia, using AI to grow 4 million pounds annually. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson takes a closer look at the "growing" trend.
Having Wi-Fi has become a necessity for many of us. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explores the top five ways to equip your vehicles with Wi-Fi.
The Vulcan is Icon's massive 3D printer, which stands 15½ feet tall and weighs 4.75 tons. It's capable of creating buildings with 12-foot-high curving walls.
Fidelity Investments, one of the world's biggest asset managers, experienced a data breach in August, the company's second in 12 months.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Apple’s new Emergency SOS Live Video feature allows users to share live video footage of the emergency directly with first responders.

Financial Planners Publicity - Dont Wait, Media Folks Want Your Free Publicity

Looking to get your name into a magazine? You need... Read More

The Ten Ps of PR

Everyone is talking about the Ps of successful marketing, so... Read More

Media Relations: Should You Pay For News Coverage, Part II

Last month, we told you about "pay for play," a... Read More

4th Quarter 2003 Publicity = 1st Quarter 2004 Prosperity

As the year starts to wind down, many businesses and... Read More

Are You Dissing Public Relations

If you leave a star player sitting on the bench,... Read More

The Increasing Power Of Publicity - And How It Can Benefit Your Business

The call came into my office and the voice on... Read More

Doubt PRs Clout? Dont!

Done right, it helps modify the behaviors of your most... Read More

Public Relations ? Defining Your Organization from the Inside Out

What do your customers say about your company?Would you let... Read More

Promote Your Products With A Press Release

Writing an effective press release is a way to draw... Read More

Financial Planners, Follow These Guidelines to Get Free Publicity

Be a ResourceThe media people that are likely to want... Read More

How To Get Zero Cost Publicity For Your Business Part 1

Would you like to expand the volume of your business?... Read More

Three Communication Secrets of The Great Communicator

I've worked in media and public relations for 20 years,... Read More

What not to wear when doing a TV Interview

? Don't wear all black. You'll look as though you're... Read More

PRs Big Bang Theory

Lots of theories out there about public relations.Everything from "publicity's... Read More

Just What Kind of PR Matters to You?

Parties, videos, booklets and column plugs?Or public relations that does... Read More

Sound Like Your Situation?

What a shame! Potentially productive public relations people resting on... Read More

Think Like a Reader, Viewer, or Listener to Get Great Publicity

About a year ago I read a feature story in... Read More

Financial Planners Garner Free Publicity by Making it Easy for the Media

Would you advise clients to buy a stock based on... Read More

Why PR Can be Effective Medicine

When properly applied by business, non-profit and association managers, public... Read More

What? You Havent Got a Capability Statement?

What's a Capability Statement?As the name suggests, it tells potential... Read More

Managers: PR More Than Tix and Plugs?

You bet! And in three ways vital to you as... Read More

Can Newbies Avoid The Pitfalls?

Yes indeed! If you are a young person who has... Read More

The Power of Radio - Tips for Great Radio Interviews

Many people are intimidated by radio interviews, whether live or... Read More

Media Relations: How to Get Your Letter to the Editor Published

You may remember Forrest Gump's Vietnam pal ? the one... Read More

7 Tips to Get More Mileage Out of Your Online or Offline Publicity

You worked hard to get a story on your business... Read More

Elmhurst prom limo ..