Three weeks ago, we left white space in this column and asked you to fill it in with ways our industry can rally to the cause and help to ease the pain and suffering resulting from the Sept. 11th terrorist attacks.
Entitled "Blank Expression," that column listed several phone numbers and/or e-mail addresses for such organizations as The New York Police and Fire Widows’ and Children’s Benefit Fund (212 227-3700); the American Red Cross (1-800-801-8092); the New York Blood Center (www.nybloodcenter. org); the United Way of New York’s and the New York Community Trust’s Sept. 11th Fund (1-800-710-8002); and the Salvation Army (1-800-SAL-ARMY).
We then held out the hope that you would add to that list—and you have, on a number of levels. I received a couple of calls quipping that the 9/21 column’s blank space was reminiscent of "Mad Libs," the tongue-in-cheek forms in which a story is told, leaving out pivotal nouns, verbs and adjectives. While filling in those blanks often yields comedic results, our white space is being filled with a sense of care and poignancy.
Among the heartfelt "fulfiller" has been:
·A fundraising benefit hosted by the Association of Music Producers (AMP) and the Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP). Musical guests (including Leon Pendarvis and Paul Shaffer), food and drink will highlight the soirée on Oct. 18, 7 p.m.-midnight, at Webster Hall, New York City. Proceeds will go to New York relief organizations, including the Twin Towers Fund and the American Red Cross. Tickets are $95 apiece, with sponsorships and other opportunities available. For info, call (212) 475-2600.
· The national board of the Association of Independent Creative Editors (AICE) has voted to donate all profits from its inaugural AICE Editorial Awards ceremony to those playing instrumental roles in New York’s recovery efforts. The gala AICE Editorial Awards ceremony is slated for Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers, New York, on Nov. 7. For further info, contact Laurie Castronuovo at (212) 370-9086.
· Additionally, individual members and chapters of the AICE are in fundraising modes, with some starting drives to collect money for New York Firemen and Police funds. The results of those efforts will be announced at the AICE Editorial Awards ceremony.
· SHOOT’s parent company, VNU Inc., is forming the VNU 9.11 Fund to help those in need. VNU has made an initial "seed" contribution of $250,000—and has invited employees to make donations to the fund, which will be matched by VNU to a maximum of $1 million.
· Public service spots are emerging to drum up support for relief efforts and to address issues that have arisen from the tragedy. An example of the latter is the PSA entitled "I Am An American" out of Austin, Texas-based ad agency GSD&M (SHOOT, 9/28, p. 1). The Ad Council :30 promotes ethnic diversity and tolerance in response to hate crimes that have sprouted up in the U.S. against people of Middle Eastern descent.
· Assorted individuals and companies throughout the industry have taken up collections to benefit relief efforts. Other people have volunteered to serve in community organizations to aid in the recovery process. As earlier reported, volunteers poured in last month from various film unions in and around New York, many working 12-hour days or longer at ground zero and at relief sites throughout the city.
· And people and groups representing a cross-section of the industry have united to form what’s informally called the We Love New York Coalition to promote and encourage business in New York (SHOOT, 10/5, p. 1). We will continue to report on these and other efforts.
