08Oct 2020 by Bob Cargill

A Great Ad for a Great Cause

Advertising, Communications, Fundraising, Marketing, Restaurants
It’s a great ad for a great cause. But it’s much more than just an ad. It’s a fundraising campaign for small businesses and nonprofit organizations. It’s about the closing of Coogan's Restaurant in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City after some 35 years in business. Facebook put this ad together, pledging to match up to $100,000 of the funds raised as a result of this campaign. What particularly stands out to me about this spot is the riveting version of Gloria Gaynor's classic, mega-hit song, “I Will Survive,” sung by Swedish artist, Lykee Li, that accompanies it. See – and listen – for yourself here.
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30Aug 2020 by Bob Cargill
I’m Running the 2020 Virtual Boston Marathon

I’m Running the 2020 Virtual Boston Marathon

Boston, Boston Marathon, Fundraising
I’m psyched. I’m in. I’m participating in the Boston Marathon Virtual Experience. Of course, the Boston Marathon was cancelled this year due to the pandemic. Those of us who were entered to run this historic race were disappointed, but we totally understood. There was no way the race could have been held given the coronavirus crisis. The Boston Athletic Association (BAA) came up with a virtual version of the marathon, however, giving official entrants the opportunity to go the 26.2-mile distance on their own course, on their own time, sometime between September 5-14, 2020. So after having trained in the cold temperatures all winter to run this thing, I picked up where I left off a couple months later and trained all summer under the hot sun. I’m ready. I’m…
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25Mar 2016 by Bob Cargill

10 Ways Brands are Using Social Media for Good

Branding, Cause-Related Marketing, Marketing, Nonprofits, Social Media
Asking questions. Running contests. Sharing pictures. Promoting products and services. There are many ways for brands to attract attention on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and the like. Included among this list of ways to get people to sit up and take notice on social media is to show the softer side of your brand and declare your support of a worthy charitable organization. After all, almost everyone on these channels is trying to sell something, whether it’s a product, service or simply themselves. Almost everyone is like the carnival barker cajoling the passersby to step right up and come inside the tent. But a small percentage of them are associating their brands with a noble cause, giving those in the audience a reason to feel good about making the decision to…
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16Feb 2014 by Bob Cargill

I’m Proud to Be Running the Boston Marathon for Christopher’s Haven

Boston, Boston Marathon, Fundraising
The 2014 Boston Marathon will be extra special for me. The victims of last year’s bombings will be on my mind every step of the way, but so will the kids who stay at Christopher’s Haven, "a home for kids when cancer hits home." To support my participation in the Boston Marathon this year and give to Christopher's Haven, please visit my fundraising page here, where you can make a secure online donation. Or you can donate by check — just make it payable to Christopher’s Haven and mail it to me at 33 Oakwood Avenue, Sudbury, MA 01776. Thank you for your kindness, generosity and support.
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24Jan 2014 by Bob Cargill

I’m Running the 2014 Boston Marathon for Christopher’s Haven

Boston, Boston Marathon, Fundraising
For me, the day started out like any other Patriots’ Day on which I’ve run the Boston Marathon, but it ended not with the anticipated feelings of joy and accomplishment. Instead, I went to sleep that night restless, worried and overwhelmed by a sense of sadness and shock over the two devastating bombs that had exploded near the finish line on Boylston Street. That’s how a blog post of mine began on April 21 of last year, just six days after the 2013 Boston Marathon, an otherwise glorious event that was tragically marred by two destructive explosions along Boylston Street. I wanted to put down in words while it was still fresh in my mind everything I felt about my experience that day. The disappointment I felt in having my…
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12Jan 2013 by Bob Cargill

I’m Running the 2013 Boston Marathon for Christopher’s Haven

Boston, Boston Marathon, Fundraising
I’ve done it before and I’m doing it again. I’m running the Boston Marathon for Christopher’s Haven. On April 15, 2013, I’ll be making another historic, heralded 26.2-mile trek from Hopkinton to Boston on behalf of the Boston-based nonprofit organization that bills itself as “a home for kids when cancer hits home.” The first time I ran the Boston Marathon for charity was in 1996, when I went the distance as a member of the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge team. Altogether, I’ve run Boston 10 times so far, seven times for charity and three times as an unofficial entrant without a number. I’ve always loved running, ever since I was a kid. Over the years, I’ve run hundreds of road races, including 13 marathons, 10 half marathons, the Falmouth Road Race…
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05Aug 2012 by Bob Cargill

Every Time the Red Sox Win, I’m Making a Donation to Christopher’s Haven (Thanks to Snoball)

Boston Red Sox, Business, Cause-Related Marketing, Fundraising, Marketing, Social Media
If you’re a faithful Boston Red Sox fan like me, this hasn’t been an easy year to root for the team. As quickly as they manage to cobble together a winning streak of any length, it seems like they're on the losing end of just as many games, offsetting any chance of gaining ground on those ahead of them in the standings. But I’m still rooting for them. Always have, always will. Although I've never cheered for this baseball team in quite the same way as I have been lately. That's because I recently made a pledge on Snoball to donate one dollar to one of my favorite local nonprofit organizations, Christopher’s Haven, for every game the Red Sox win. That may not seem like a lot of money, but…
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11Jun 2012 by Bob Cargill

I’m in…The Longest Day for the Alzheimer’s Association

Fundraising
On Wednesday, June 20, I’ll be participating in The Longest Day, an exciting and emotional sunrise-to-sunset relay event to raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Association. As a member of my company’s fundraising team, I’ll be doing what I can to honor the perseverance and patience, determination and dedication that those who are living with Alzheimer’s disease – and their caregivers – display every day. The only rule, per se, for this event is at least one member of our fundraising team needs to be in constant motion every second of the approximately 16 hours of daylight on June 20, which is the summer solstice, or the day of the calendar year with the most sunlight. My initial plan was to run for a few hours on The Longest Day, but I broke my big right toe recently (May 26) in a fluke accident, so I probably won’t be able…
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