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.

OMG, BEA!

The doors were flung open and the librarian-style smack-down has commenced. At the Javits Center in New York City, books are the bomb this week.

We're excited to be exhibiting again here at Book Expo of America (BEA) - a great chance to visit clients and make new connections. Mike and Mitch are raring to go, though the line for their autographs doesn't seem to be as long as Kristi Yamaguchi's. That's probably just because nobody has seen Mike on figure skates lately.

Our booth is nestled snugly among current clients and new friends and the traffic has been steady and enthusiastic. The excitement is palpable as everyone converges here with a shared love - the love of words.

There are plenty of booths at BEA if you want a physical publication, but we are the ones to talk to for mobile apps and video on demand - and people are hungry for both.

If you can't make it, we'll keep you apprised of highlights - but if you're here in New York, stop by our booth, #4228, for an interactive demo...or for Mike's autograph!

Project Homeless Connect

Yesterday, the Minneapolis Convention Center was transformed.

Transformed into a one-stop service center aimed at removing some of the barriers facing our homeless population.

Transformed into a place of hope.

Project Homeless Connect included 400 services providers and 1100 volunteers, all there serving 2000 guests who are currently homeless or existing on the brink.

Hot meals, haircuts, dental work, legal help, employment information and housing advocates. All gathered under one roof in a show of love for our community, donating time and talent to create a space where people could gather to receive information and critical services in one location.

Volunteers worked with guests on a one-on-one basis, escorting them through the maze of services and helping guests prioritize their plan of attack for the day. We shared stories and we shared lunch.

The goal is that the homeless left the convention center with a renewed sense of hope, and that the volunteers left the convention center with a renewed sense of purpose - eradicating these problems to the best of our ability.

The motto of Project Homeless Connect is Ending Homelessness, One Person at a Time. This is a great example of impact. If you think you're too small to make a difference, think again. Even if you make a lasting impression or a hopeful connection with one person, you made that person's day a little bit better.

Isn't that reason enough to volunteer?

Project Homeless Connect runs these events twice a year and the next one will come around in December. We'll be there again and we hope you will be, too.