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A few highlights from the past month include:

• Completing designs of a logo and tagline for pilot program, ONE Touch Omaha
• Media relations work for the UNO Sustainable Transit Committee (to be rebranded by MaverickPR ASAP)
• Social media promotion for the Global Youth Services Day/Hike to Help event
• Completion of monthly newsletters for the Nebraska Polio Survivor’s Association and Blue Line
• Adding four new clients and developing strategic plans for each: Warren Academy, D.R.E.A.M., Healthy Futures and UNO Parking
• Event planning for the School of Communication Graduation Breakfast

And much more! We’re also gearing up for many events taking place in the spring. April is sure to keep MaverickPR busy, but what else is new?

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A team of members are busy planning the annual National Organ Donor
Awareness Event: Be the Missing Piece, Be an Organ Donor. The event
will be held on Tuesday, April 17, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the
Milo Bail Student Center Plaza. Please support the chapter members who
have been busy planning this great event.

Also this past month, myself and seven other members visited New York
City for a six day professional development trip. Welearned about the
9/11 crisis communications done by Merrill Lynch from UNO alum Paul
Crichlow, title. We also were honored to sit with the “Godfather of
Public Relations” Harold Burson, Burson-Marsteller. As a member,
points from being active can help members take advantage of these
professional development opportunities. As a graduating senior, I was
blessed to have this great opportunity.

Coming up in April, don’t forget to save the date for our new member
induction ceremony and senior farewell. The ceremony and farewell will
be Saturday, April 28 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Cantina Laredo in Midtown
Crossing. Please RSVP to Cristina Sanchez, cpsanchez@unomaha.edu, if
you plan to attend this event. All members are invited to attend and
it is a great night for socializing, welcoming new members and saying
goodbye to the graduating seniors.

In May, if you’re not a senior graduating, you can volunteer at the
CFAM Graduation Saturday, May 5th from 8 – 12 p.m. at the Thompson
Alumni Center Garden Area. Please contact Shanae Springer,
sespringer@unomaha.edu, if you are interested in volunteering.

Only a few more weeks of school left, so hold tight to those energy
drinks, try not to pull too many all-nighters and good luck on all of
your finals!

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March has proven to be an incredible month for MaverickPR. Megan Romero, Devin Bertelsen and I attended the 2012 National Assembly in Charlotte, NC March 15-18 to gain knowledge about PRSSA and learn how to better our chapter.  Look for more details in the next chapter newsletter.

Devin and I also are thrilled to report we gained 18 new members during our spring semester recruitment drive. This is definitely something to be proud of and we hope the new members will become active in the chapter right away.

The 2012 Bateman National Case Study Competition team of Jenny Beernink, Emily Johnson, Jamie Newman, Kelsie Olson and Tiffany Riggs created a terrific campaign to educate the community on child- hood obesity, “Ready, Set, Start to a Healthy Heart.” They spent part of Spring Break putting the final touches on the campaign and mailed the books to New York—four days before the deadline—a first for our chapter!

As the end of the semester is drawing near, I hope everyone is getting ready for summer festivities and beautiful weather by getting ahead on assignments and studying for finals! Also, don’t forget that we have lots of volunteer opportunities coming to a head so keep an eye on that and remember to read Megan Romero, communications director’s weekly memos to keep up to date on what’s happening in our chapter, scholarships and internship opportunities!

Here are a few of the events coming up:

-          Open Door Mission service opportunity this Saturday, March 31^st from noon to 2 p.m. at the Timberlake Outreach Center (2107 East Locust). Contact Shanae at sespringer@unomaha.edu to volunteer.

-          Spring 2012 Induction & Senior Night Saturday April 28^th from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at Cantina Laredo.

-          CFAM Graduation – volunteers needed Saturday May 5^th from 8 – 12 p.m. at the Strauss Performing Arts Center.

-          LimeLight Expressions Muscular Dystrophy fundraiser/charity event volunteer opportunity Saturday June 9^th from 5 – 10 p.m. at 1209 Ranch View Lane, Elkhorn, NE 68022 (Ranch View Estates neighborhood).

Here’s other opportunities to get involved with the Nebraska PRSA Community Service Committee:

-          Girl Scouts of America – volunteers needed June 9^th from 6 – 9 p.m. to guide girls through activities at Central South High School.

-          Camp Hot Shots, a camp for children with Type 1 Diabetes – volunteers needed to help create brand materials, write scripts for PSA’s, Facebook content etc.

-          ALS in the Heartland – volunteers needed to write state-wide PR marketing plan, create and produce e-newsletter and assist in writing content.

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Here is the updated list of upcoming service opportunities:

Prepare and serve meals, play with children and sort clothing at the Open Door Mission. This is a great opportunity for new members to get involved and help those in need. Volunteers are needed on Saturday, March 31 from noon to 2 p.m.

Six to eight volunteers are greatly needed for the CFAM Graduation on Saturday, May 5 from 8 a.m. to noon at the Strauss Performing Arts Center

We also have two great opportunities to get involved with the Nebraska PRSA Community Service Committee:

Volunteers are needed to create branded print material and content suggestions for website and brochures, as well as write scripts for radio PSAs, brainstorm for videos, and provide Facebook content consultation for the Camp Hot Shots, a camp for children with Type 1 diabetes.

Volunteers are needed to write a state-wide PR marketing plan, create an e-newsletter template and produce e-newsletter, and assist in writing content for ALS in the Heartland, a free resource for ALS patients and their families.

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Here’s what’s been going on:

Our Valentine’s Day bake sale earned more than $230 to help with our professional development opportunities for our members. Fundraising Director Maja Mihalinec got many members involved to bake goods as well as work the table during the bake sale in a Valentine’s Day themed bake sale. With many pink and red baked goods, it’s no wonder the students and faculty couldn’t resist.

We volunteered for two important causes in February: adding to the Nebraska Organ Recovery System donor list and raising funds for the Lydia House, a shelter for women and children. Teaming up with the Athletic Department and Nebraska Organ Recovery Systems, about eight PRSSA members actively promoted organ donation to get college students around campus to be organ donors. With the help of each volunteer there were about 15 people who signed up.

Max I. Walker Ultra Chic Prom Boutique was a charity event where PRSSA volunteers including: Karina Musinsky, Victoria Jones, Julie Nelsen, Rebecca-Bennett-Noe, Maria Laskley, Devin Bertelsen, Christy Jobman and Brittany Redden all volunteered their time to help out at this exciting event. Our volunteers helped with setting up, monitoring the crowds of people storming through aisles of dresses, organizing and managing the racks of dresses and returning and putting the dresses back on the racks. The Ultra Chic Prom Boutique had 1,600 dresses donated for the event and raised $12,800 for the Lydia House.

Planning meetings for the 2012 National Organ Donor Awareness Competition (NODAC) are in full swing. With the theme of “Be the Missing Piece, Be an Organ Donor.” The team lead by Service Director Shanae Springer is working on logistical details for the April 17 campus event. Please contact Shanae at sespringer@unomaha.edu if you want to get involved or work as a volunteer at the event. The team meets on Wednesday nights at 5:30 p.m. in the library.

Here’s what’s coming up in March:

Saturday, March 31: Volunteer at Open Door Mission from noon to 2 p.m. We will help prepare or serve meals, play games with kids, or organize clothing donations and anything else needed. This is a great opportunity for new members to get involved in our chapter service and earn activity points. We need eight to 10 members for this event.

Also, if you are interested in writing for the newsletter please let Kelsie Olson, klolson@unomaha.edu, know.

Remember, that we’re halfway through the semester and you still have some great opportunities to get involved and build your resume and portfolio! If you’re looking for a class this summer or fall semester, apply for Communication Workshop (PR Agency) this summer on Tuesday nights and (PR Campaigns) in the fall Tuesday and Thursdays 4 to 5:50 p.m.  This is so much more than a class; you work for real clients and can build your portfolio working in an agency-style setting. Contact MaverickPR Faculty Adviser for more details.

Don’t forget to apply for the PRSA Nebraska $500 scholarship. Complete details in our weekly memo. Turn in your applications to Karen Weber’s office before the March 23 deadline.

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Another volunteer opportunity coming up in June is the Muscular Dystrophy fundraiser  hosted by Limelight Expressions. Enjoy the Tangier Shrine Circus, a commercial fireworks display, hot air balloon rides, face painting, magic show and much more while helping with carnival games.  If you are interested in volunteering or for more information contact Shanae Springer at sespringer@unomaha.edu.

Coming up Tuesday, March 13 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. hear how OPPD and USACE created a positive outcome from an extended crisis during the threat of a nuclear meltdown at the Fort Calhoun Power Plant at the PRSA luncheon at Anthony’s Steakhouse.

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Friday, March 2 from 7-10 p.m. at The Barnard Flats, SW corner of Park Avenue and Leavenworth Streets
Saturday, March 3 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Metro Community College South Omaha Campus, 27th and Q Streets

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There are a few clients that have been keeping us the busiest lately:

We are in especially frequent communication with Hike to Help Refugees/Global Youth Services Day and have filled our large conference room to capacity on more than one occasion with all of the involved parties. We are thrilled that so many people want to be involved in the planning and implementation of the event that will feature global exhibitioners and a walk to raise awareness for refugees to take place at UNO on April 20. Between the design work and event coordination, our talented team on this account is working hard to prepare for the event.

A returning client from last year, the Omaha Heritage Festival planning and promotion is in full swing. The team members on this account are extremely excited to promote a new aspect of the festival this year – the opportunity to help break a world record! This Memorial Day weekend, MaverickPR and the Omaha Heritage Festival plan to have 500 couples all dancing the Salsa at the same time. The previous record is 419 couples. The event will also feature an authentic Chinese dragon, a parade through downtown Omaha, cultural vendors and musical acts.

One of our new clients this semester is the UNO Sustainable Transit Committee, a group dedicated to alternative modes of transportation, such as carpooling, walking or biking. The team on this account is promoting the re-release of B-cycles, which return to the streets March 1 for their second season in Omaha. B-cycle is a pilot bike-sharing program in partnership with UNO Student Government and the Community Bike Project. The staff will also help to plan and gain involvement with the “Wheels for Meals” race, in which teams register to rent a B-cycle, ride to local grocery store Wohlner’s, purchase canned food that will be donated to a food shelter and return to the starting point the fastest.

As I sit here recounting the weeks in my planner to double check the number of weeks gone by already that I quoted in my lead, I’ve just realized that there are only 17 weeks in a semester. That means the Spring 2012 semester is just about half over. Um…what? I should probably remind myself to stop and take a breath more often, before the next eight weeks fly by under the radar.

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Don’t miss this last chance to volunteer for the Ultra Chic Prom Boutique, an annual charity event providing low-cost prom dresses to high school girls who otherwise can’t afford a dress.  All proceeds benefit the Open Door Mission’s Lydia House.  If you’re interested in volunteering or for more information, contact Shanae Springer, sespringer@unomaha.edu.

Volunteers are needed:

Friday, Feb. 24 at the Ramada Plaza Hotel & Convention Center

Saturday, Feb. 25 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Ramada Plaza Hotel

& Convention Center

Help out at the 7^th annual Restore Omaha Conference.

Gain PR experience by helping with all aspects of the event (set-up, registration, traffic control, introducing speakers, serving food, etc.), covering event sessions by taking notes/pictures and incorporating them into stories, and posting information on Facebook.

Free food and drinks will be provided Friday night and all day

Saturday.

If interested, please contact Kristine Gerber (eventive.marketing@cox.net) or call 402.614.0056.

Volunteers are needed:

Friday, March 2 from 7-10 p.m. at The Barnard Flats, SW corner of Park Avenue and Leavenworth Streets

Saturday, March 3 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Metro Community College South Omaha Campus, 27^th and Q Streets

Finally, don’t forget on this Sunday, Feb. 19 is our chapter meeting from 3-4 p.m. followed by our chapter social from 4-5:30 p.m. at Johnny Sortino’s on 78^th and L.

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