A Firm Handshake

What would you do if you were only given a few months to live? Travel the world? Spend it with family? Go skydiving?

Zach Sobriech, age 17, turned to music to get him through his time left on earth. When Zach was only 14 years old he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called Osteosarcoma. Osteosarcoma is a cancerous bone tumor that usually develops during a time of rapid growth that occurs in adolescence, as a teenager matures into an adult. In Zach’s case, the discovery of his diagnosis came when he experienced pain in his left hip. When the doctors operated on him they made the tragic discovery. After multiple surgeries, strenuous physical therapy sessions and months of chemotherapy, Zach lost his battle with cancer when it spread to his lungs. Doctors only give him a few months to live.

Zach is very courageous and optimistic by holding his head up high and a smile on his face. Last year Zach and close friend Sammy Brown created an album titled “A Firm Handshake.” They performed their music in front of a live audience in order to raise money for Zach’s cause.

The ADS Group was inspired by Zach’s story and wanted to support his love for music. By donating discs with his music on it and implementing the artwork onto the sleeve, Zach was able to generate profit from his album’s sales to help fund his condition.

This year they are back at it again! The concert is to be held at the Varsity Theatre featuring Vicci Martinez, Zach Sobiech, Sammy Brown, and Reed Redmond. Doors open at 6:00pm. Tickets are available at ticketfly.com or varsitytheatre.org. All proceeds go to the Zach Sobiech Fund.

Zach wrote the song below titled “Clouds,” as a goodbye to friends and family.

Well I fell down, down, down
Into this dark and lonely hole
There was no one there to care about me anymore
And I needed a way to climb and grab a hold of the edge
You were sitting there holding a rope.
And we'll go up, up, up
But I'll fly a little higher
We'll go up in the clouds because the view is a little nicer
Up here my dear
It won't be long now, it won't be long now.
When I get back on land
Well I'll never get my chance
Be ready to live and it'll be ripped right out of my hands
Maybe someday we'll take a little ride
We'll go up, up, up and everything will be just fine.
And we'll go up, up, up
But I'll fly a little higher
We'll go up in the clouds because the view is a little nicer
Up here my dear.
It won't be long now, it won't be long now
If only I had a little bit more time
If only I had a little bit more time with you.
We could go up, up, up
And take that little ride
And sit there holding hands
And everything would be just right
And maybe someday I'll see you again
We'll float up in the clouds and we'll never see the end.
And we'll go up, up, up
But I'll fly a little higher
We'll go up in the clouds because the view is a little nicer
Up here my dear
It won't be long now, it won't be long now.

Feel the Burn with Paul Katami

Burn it 1, 2, 3, 4 and build it 1, 2, 3, 4…up and down up and down, now squat. 1 and 2 good job! Repeat 1, 2, 3, and 4!

If you have ever taken a group fitness class or watched an at home fitness training DVD, these are generally the encouraging words you will hear. But choosing the right fitness video can be challenging. What area of your body do you want to target? What fitness instructor is going to help you reach your goals?  

 

Look no further! Trusted fitness professional Paul Katami has helped 100’s of people heightened their levels of endurance while exceeding weight lose goals with the use of Kettlebells. Word caught on in Hollywood about Paul’s unique and effective workout techniques and stars such as Jessica Alba, Drew Barrymore, Charlize Theron, and Jodie Foster jumped on board.

 

Paul believes that repetitive fitness techniques are boring and show little to no results. He states that the best thing you can do to show results are by practicing compound or hybrid workouts where you’re recruiting different muscles to work together in a new way.

Paul is presently on the rise of a new cutting edge fitness tool. He is working with popular publications, answering health and fitness questions while preparing for a new series of DVD workouts based on his most popular Hollywood classes. Additionally he is creating a plan to eliminate the idea of dieting and introducing the idea of foods of a nutritional value into people’s daily eating rituals.

Paul has appeared on many television networks such as QVC, Learning Channel, TLC, Access Hollywood, and The Shopping Channel. As well as being published in nation wide publications. Workout like the stars today and visit http://www.paulkatami.com/, you may be the next big star to walk the Red Carpet!

 

 

 

March of Dimes

Becoming a parent is said to be one of the happiest moments in life. Hearing your baby cry for the first time while reaching out and grabbing its hand is a moment that will never be forgotten. Your life will become richer and your ability to love will grow stronger. You will be able to relive your life through the eyes of your child and want nothing more for them than their happiness. The key to raising a healthy, happy child is to give them a good running start from the second they are brought into the world. March of Dimes exists to do just that. The organization is designed to give you all the support you need throughout and after the pregnancy. Unfortunately life isn’t as welcoming to all babies and obstacles are introduced. March of Dimes is there to support babies born premature, sick, or with a birth defect.  Join arms with March of Dimes today and together we can make a difference.

The March of Dimes is a non-profit organization founded by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938. Roosevelt started this foundation in an Anti-Polio effort as a response to the United States epidemic outbreak. Polio is a condition that leaves people with irreversible disabilities. The association was in alliance between scientist and volunteers to raise money for support and research efforts.

 The name of “March of Dimes,” initially was called National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis. The name change came in the 1930’s and was inspired by a vaudeville series titled “The March of Time.” The foundation used to host an annual charity event that encouraged children to donate a dime. There were stations set up all around the cities taking place around the winter holiday season. The organization later adopted the name “March of Dimes.”

 

The ADS Group and Studio 120 are proud sponsors of the March of Dimes, March for Babies! We helped them celebrate their 75th Anniversary by donating discs that we authored and edited for their charity event. We want more then ever to help March of Dimes foundation meet its goals and continue growing its organization providing support for families across the U.S.

CenterPoint Telly



Mitch Waters (Studio 120) presenting the Telly Award to the CenterPoint team

We're proud to announce that CenterPoint Energy has received a Telly Award for their recent video about how to conserve energy in your home in order to save money and help preserve our environment. The Telly Awards are highly coveted and competitive and Save Money, Save Energy was selected from over 11,000 submissions nationwide.

CenterPoint was looking for a way to communicate effectively with their clients and video proved to be the answer. Using rich visuals and simple suggestions, the video Save Energy, Save Money offers easy energy-saving tips as well as outlining the financial impact each small change makes over time.

Studio 120, our full service audio and visual production division, produced this video for CenterPoint and we couldn't be more pleased at its success.

Your message, our medium.

Whether you need a fundraising or an identity video, a documentary or a theatrical production, Studio 120 can help you put your best face forward. From scripting and casting to filming and postproduction, we work with you every step of the way to ensure your message is captured professionally and authentically.

Congratulations to CenterPoint Energy on their efforts to conserve our natural resources!

United Way Campaign Week

The ADS Group is proud to be hosting a campaign week in support of the Greater Twin Cities United Way! We've scheduled a week full of contests and events to raise money to fight poverty within our community.

Reps at United Way are always available to help companies facilitate such a campaign and they make it very simple to do so. They provide signage and literature, and speak at your kickoff meeting about the impact our dollars make right here in our own neighborhoods. They'll also provide a helpful list of activities other companies have successfully hosted during their own campaigns, to aid in planning.

Our goal is this week is to raise both money and awareness. Small donations add up and there's no denying the incredible power of teamwork. We're proud of our people for embracing these events with enthusiasm - and perhaps a tiny bit of competitive spirit.

Our department managers are panhandling for change today and we may have to play referee. Rumors of extortion and blackmail are flying. Nobody wants to be the manager with the least amount of funds raised, so perhaps there are threats circulating of withholding departmental services until donations are made.

If you're in the Twin Cities area and interested in hosting a campaign of your own, get in touch with Tim Anderson to find out how you can help!

Tim Anderson

Greater Twin Cities United Way

andersont@unitedwaytwincities.org

612-340-7468

Wifflin for Wishes

On Saturday, we made a wish.

The most elite athletes our companies boast turned out in Hopkins for the 8th annual Wifflin' for Wishes tournament to benefit Make-A-Wish of Minnesota.

Don't laugh. These guys meant business.

We wished for sunscreen. It was 93 degrees outside.

We wished for food trucks. Wiffleball burns a lot of calories. Or maybe it was all the sweating.

And by the end of the day, we were mostly wishing for redemption. There was a team of small boys nearby and we were afraid we might have to face off against them.

Despite the athletic prowess clearly displayed in these photos, neither of our teams emerged victorious. Unless, of course, you consider it a victory to raise money for a worthy cause on a gorgeous day. WE DO.

A huge thank you to HRL Twin Cities and Pat Moriarty for organizing the tournament and for bringing us all together to support the wishes of ill children. It was a day well spent and next year we just wish for a few more homers.

Buh-Bye, BEA

Big ups to the ADS Group sales team - what a show! BEA was three days of nonstop appointments and working the floor with publishers, distributors and other content providers.

Everyone at Book Expo has one thing in common - a story to tell.

Need a publicist? There were plenty.

Need a publisher? Again, many to choose from.

Need a mobile application to supplement your publication? That's us.

With The ADS Group, the mediums are myriad. Whether it's an app, a disc or video on demand, we're the ones to help you get your story told. Our crew tag-teamed the show while tearing all over Manhattan to meet with clients and vendors. The face time was priceless and the opportunities are exciting.

Our feet, however...thats a whole different story.