OT: Letter to the Editor

Were there corporate sponsors for the Games? If so, contact them or their
local reps and suggest that they contact the media and ask why something so
valuable and positive for your community didn't get covered.

If you contact the newspaper, don't write to the editor, write to the CEO of
the corporation. State in your letter that it is not for publication.
"Never argue in print with a man who buys ink by the barrel."

Ask for some local advertisers to protest. Have them point out that stories
like this are important to a large demographic which they wish to reach with
their ad dollars, and that if Newsday is unwilling to try to reach that
group, they will have to reconsider their advertising strategy.

Jim Wayne

"Jim Not-From-Here" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Were there corporate sponsors for the Games? If so, contact them or their
local reps and suggest that they contact the media and ask why something

so

Quoted message said:

valuable and positive for your community didn't get covered.

The main sponsors were the Long Island Power Authority, NY State Parks, a
supermarket chain, Hofstra University (provided dorm space) and a few
smaller ones. Thee used to be a dozen large sponsors under th edemocrats who
founded the games.

Quoted message said:

If you contact the newspaper, don't write to the editor, write to the CEO

of

Quoted message said:

the corporation. State in your letter that it is not for publication.
"Never argue in print with a man who buys ink by the barrel."

I wrote to every media outlet, and, even contacted a HS classmate who is
very well known locally, and fairly well known nationally. He told me that
the horse was going to get the coverage no matter what.

Quoted message said:

Ask for some local advertisers to protest. Have them point out that

stories

Quoted message said:

like this are important to a large demographic which they wish to reach

with

Quoted message said:

their ad dollars, and that if Newsday is unwilling to try to reach that
group, they will have to reconsider their advertising strategy.

It was not just Newsday. I contacted the local afilates of ABC, NBC, CBS,
Fox and every newspaper and sports radio show.

The *real* problem is that the Games staff is not promoting the Games. They
did not send out a single press release that anyone can find. This is have
taken up with an Assemblyman who is a friend of mine. It i snot his
committee, but, he does carry major seniority.

"M.a.r.k P.r.o.b.e.r.t-June 11, 2004" <M.a.r.k P.r.o.b.e.r.t
[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

SNIP

Quoted message said:

The *real* problem is that the Games staff is not promoting the Games.

They

Quoted message said:

did not send out a single press release that anyone can find. This is have
taken up with an Assemblyman who is a friend of mine. It i snot his
committee, but, he does carry major seniority.

You hit the nail on the head! If the group setting up this event didn't
even send out press releases, it is not surprising that the media didn't
cover it.

What you can do now is get a bunch of the parents who were involved to sent
"Thank you letters" to the community via the letter to the editors column.
You know the kind I mean--"My child really had fun at this event, and we are
so grateful to Hofstra for sponsoring it."

If you are really involved in this program, perhaps you could volunteer to
send out some press releases next year. They aren't hard to write. There
is no guarantee that they will cover it even if there is a release, but at
least they will know about it.

Jim Wayne

Also, try not to plan it when a horse is going for a Triple Crown at a local
track!!

BL

"As the waves pass the rock, their shape is changed. There is a hologram of
the rock within the wave that comes forward and crashes on the beach, then
there's a reflected wave back." Ralph Abraham

"I'd like to learn to windsurf." BL

"BL 1204" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Also, try not to plan it when a horse is going for a Triple Crown at a

local

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track!!

The event is scheduled for this weekend ofr twenty years. The horse shold
respect that.

Kids first.

Horses second.

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BL

"As the waves pass the rock, their shape is changed. There is a hologram

of

Quoted message said:

the rock within the wave that comes forward and crashes on the beach, then
there's a reflected wave back." Ralph Abraham

"I'd like to learn to windsurf." BL

"Jim Not-From-Here" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"M.a.r.k P.r.o.b.e.r.t-June 11, 2004" <M.a.r.k P.r.o.b.e.r.t
[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

SNIP

Quoted message said:

The *real* problem is that the Games staff is not promoting the Games.

They

Quoted message said:

did not send out a single press release that anyone can find. This is

have

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

taken up with an Assemblyman who is a friend of mine. It i snot his
committee, but, he does carry major seniority.

You hit the nail on the head! If the group setting up this event didn't
even send out press releases, it is not surprising that the media didn't
cover it.

What you can do now is get a bunch of the parents who were involved to

sent

Quoted message said:

"Thank you letters" to the community via the letter to the editors column.
You know the kind I mean--"My child really had fun at this event, and we

are

Quoted message said:

so grateful to Hofstra for sponsoring it."

If you are really involved in this program, perhaps you could volunteer to
send out some press releases next year. They aren't hard to write. There
is no guarantee that they will cover it even if there is a release, but at
least they will know about it.

We discussed these ideas at the Games with several of the long time parents
(11 years for us) and volunteers (a couple of 20 people) and we are putting
together a group to do just this. The Games are suffering from a severe case
of benign neglect, with the State no longer taking an active roll in
promoting them.

Years ago, under Cuomo, a Democrat, the Games came into being. He would come
down on Friday and Saturday and hang out with the kids. I have video tape of
him helping several blind athletes run the 100m race, and his wife helping a
young girl running the 40m with her walker. He spent hours at the Games and
enjoyed himself.

With the Republicans in office...well benign neglect is the best term.
Pataki has never shown up.

We may even make up a website with pictures.

"M.a.r.k P.r.o.b.e.r.t-June 11, 2004" <M.a.r.k P.r.o.b.e.r.t 06-11-
(...)

Quoted message said:

The *real* problem is that the Games staff is not promoting the Games.

Actually, the real problems are that the games need to be promoted to the
people who are eligible to play in them and that there are adequate staff to
make sure that everyone has a good and safe time at the game.

As far as other people outside the target community: That is not the goal
of the games. Of course, I am not suggesting that adequate publicity for the
proper people was made, only that they are the ones who need to know about
it.

Jeff

"Jeff" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"M.a.r.k P.r.o.b.e.r.t-June 11, 2004" <M.a.r.k P.r.o.b.e.r.t 06-11-
(...)

Quoted message said:

The *real* problem is that the Games staff is not promoting the Games.

Actually, the real problems are that the games need to be promoted to the
people who are eligible to play in them and that there are adequate staff

to

Quoted message said:

make sure that everyone has a good and safe time at the game.

Staffing is excellent, with a copious amount of volunteers returning year
after year.

Quoted message said:

As far as other people outside the target community: That is not the goal
of the games. Of course, I am not suggesting that adequate publicity for

the

Quoted message said:

proper people was made, only that they are the ones who need to know about
it.

Nope.

One of the many benefits of the Games is that it creates an atmosphere of
accomplishment for all to savor and enjoy. There is still a lot of
narrowmindedness about the physically disabled being able to integrate into
the rest of the world and the Games can help dispel this attitude.