Sunflower House

Wow! What a facility! I visited the Sunflower House today, and could not wait to get home to write about it. The Sunflower House is a wonderful non-profit organization providing community trainings, outreach and support for sexually abused children. Did you know 1 of 4 girls, and 1 of 6 boys will be sexually abused during their childhood?

Read all of Sunflower House
Date:02/12/2010
Comments: 0

If You Have Free Booze, They Will Come

On Friday, February 13th, all the Plattform Party People turned out for a festive event like no other -- and it was all for a good cause! Late in the afternoon, Team Phil held a Red Wine and Dark Chocolate Event; benefiting the American Heart Association. Our goals were to raise heart disease awareness to PlattForm employees and to recruit three to four walking team leaders for the 2009 Kansas City Start! Heart Walk held May 30th near Brush Creek. In order to raise money to hold the event, we threw a good, old-fashioned heart healthy bake sale on National Go Red Day. Then, to our surprise, our own Tiffany Romeo (she knows people in high places), had not one, not two, but three CASES of red wine donated. On top of that, she swung two three-liter bottles of fine red for us to raffle off at the event!

With the donated wine, and the money raised at the bake sale, we were able to throw one beauty of a Red Wine and Dark Chocolate Event. Attendees had their selection of Merlot, Red Zin, or Pinot Noir as well as an astounding assortment of dark chocolates to pick from, all at no cost or an accepted donation of their choice! Not only did we recruit four walking team leaders, but we were also able to give the American Heart Association a check for $218! Many thanks to all of those who attended the event and special shout outs to Jenn Horner, Tiffany Romeo, Michael Mackie, and Dory Winn. The event -- the first of its kind -- was a huge success!

Humane Society Day = Success!

I've known since a young age that my true calling was working with animals. The problem was that I didn't want to commit to Vet school and wanted to earn more than a zookeeper or vet tech. Fortunately, a wonderful idea popped into my head late last Fall that would help me at least do something to benefit animals in need.

It began as an idea that I wanted to do something at my church which has donated for over 18 years to the wonderful organizations that help people in need. As I quickly found out, it's almost near impossible to get such a large church to let someone like me organize a fundraiser like this. The idea eventually moved from church to work. After working with Team Phil and getting the proposal approved, I was on my way to planning a full-on "Humane Society Day" at work with the help of 3 other awesome girls!

For 2-3 months, Kate Baker, Laci Wright, Morgan Gonzalez and I brainstormed on what we could do and how we could accomplish those tasks. We settled on a breakfast, bake sale and silent auction with a large budget of $0! After calling tons of local companies and using our contacts at pet-related stores, we were able to secure several donations to use.

On Friday, January 23rd, the events began; and what would take place that day would make me as happy as a kid in a candy store. Tons of people flocked into our $5 breakfast. Tons of people bought bake sale items made by volunteers. Tons of people bid on silent auction items, and a few people even wrote very generous personal checks.

In the end, we raised over $1500 for the Humane Society that I volunteer at, as well as hopefully generated some interest into the animals currently up for adoption, and created some potential volunteers! I'm very proud to work for a company that lets employees submit and run with projects like this, and I am proud to work with people who care enough to donate to these wonderful causes. I hope to make this an annual event due to the number of people that thanked me for doing something animal-related!

In the end though, I was the one who benefited the most. With just some organizing, planning and phone calls, I was able to do this in honor of my two four-legged "children" who I love more than anything!

PlattForm's Philanthropic Committee Leader Named to SAVE's Board of Directors

For nearly four years, PlattForm's own Senior Writer/Director, Michael Mackie, has helped the company discover its giving side. In leading the agency's in-house philanthropic committee, Team Phil, employees have worked tirelessly with a wide-variety of charities throughout Kansas and Missouri. Whether it's raising funds to purchase sports equipment for a battered youth shelter to extensive toy and food drives, PlattForm's efforts in the community are far-reaching.

Read all of PlattForm's Philanthropic Committee Leader Named to SAVE's Board of Directors
Date:01/07/2009
Comments: 0

My First Team Phil Event Volunteering at The Ronald McDonald House in Kansas City

I knew that Team Phil was something I wanted to be involved in at Plattform, so I didn’t pass up my first chance to help out. Volunteering to prepare and serve food at the RMH was the perfect way to start, because I had prior experience working at the RMH in Iowa City while I was attending The University of Iowa. Macaroni Grill graciously donated a ton of different pastas and bread which everyone loved, and Team Phil was responsible for preparing salads and baked goods.

Read all of My First Team Phil Event Volunteering at The Ronald McDonald House in Kansas City
Date:10/30/2008
Comments: 0

Mission Accomplished!

In such uncertain times, you would think that people wouldn't dole out a lot of money for a fundraising event that didn't include a candidate. But, last Friday, September 19, folks contributed to a great cause while getting down and funky. I should know, I was there! Along with a handful of people from PlattForm volunteering and from the direction our esteemed Grand Master, Michael Mackie, we participated in SAVE, Inc. 15^th annual Corroboree at the Kansas City Zoo.

Read all of Mission Accomplished!
Date:10/02/2008
Comments: 0

PlattForm Advertising co-sponsors Beer & Bands benefit concert to raise funds for the American Diabetes Association.

When it comes to interactive marketing and advertising for higher education, PlattForm Advertising’s campaigns are nationally recognized. Planning raucous in-house corporate parties and events, meanwhile, made us even bigger stars with our clients and vendors!

So it should come as no big surprise that PlattForm has branched out to host a benefit concert to raise funds our upcoming American Diabetes Association “Step Out To Fight Diabetes” walk. And best of all, everyone is invited to one of our biggest fundraisers all year! The event is co-sponsored by PlattForm’s own aptly named philanthropic committee, “Team Phil”.

Read all of PlattForm Advertising co-sponsors Beer & Bands benefit concert to raise funds for the American Diabetes Association.
Date:08/11/2008
Comments: 0

4th time is a charm! Okay so were the first, second and third times.

For the past week and a half, the weather in Kansas City has been suspect … if not downright sketchy. Torrential down pours. Hail storms. Thunder. Lightning. Or as they say in Kansas … typical.

Needless to say, I was starting to sweat PForm’s annual Day of Caring at SAVE Inc. – where PFormers from every department converge upon our charity of choice to do some much-needed outdoor maintenance and landscaping.

Imagine my surprise when about two minutes before I was going to call off the event, the sun suddenly came out and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. Oh, and did I mention perfect 75 degree weather … complete with breeze?

Read all of 4th time is a charm! Okay so were the first, second and third times.
Date:07/30/2008
Comments: 0

Roof Truss?

What’s a roof truss? I know now thanks to my recent experience with Habitat for Humanity. On July 12^th, PlattFormers teamed up with the American Public Works Association to help build a home for a family in Kansas City, Kansas.

Our duty was to set the roof trusses or basically the triangle-shaped frames that go on the top of a house to support the roof. It took on average about six of us to haul the giant pieces to the front of the house and hoist them up about 12 feet to slide them on to the top of the house. Several of us, including myself, stood on the top of the house and helped guide them into place. The extent of the construction was new to me and I really enjoyed it. The work became additionally adventurous when it began to down pour. This didn’t affect our efforts though as we worked through the rain and made substantial progress.

I intend to be back soon and I hope the family enjoys their new home as much as we enjoyed helping build it.

The Phoenix Family Fundraiser

At the Phoenix Family fundraiser, PlattFormers got together for a good cause -- to help stamp out homelessness in Kansas City. PlattFormers from nearly every department helped run a number of silent auctions at the event on April 24^th. The auction featured a wide-variety of sports-related memorabilia, vacations and fashion items.

Read all of The Phoenix Family Fundraiser
Date:07/30/2008
Comments: 0