Inspiration
YMCA Character Awards Celebrated Future Leaders
If you want to truly be inspired…spend an evening surrounded by young people who are making a difference in this 
world in their own very personal way. This was the 15th year that the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati celebrated teen role models for caring, respect, honesty and responsibility. It was such an honor for me to work with them and g
et to know them in writing their bios and working on the publicity. A special thank you to FOX19, who I got to partner with us in promoting it. Each day the week leading up to the event Tracey Johnson (who emceed the event) interviewed honorees on her Morning Xtra show.
Cincinnati Enquirer story on YMCA Character Awards
One of Tracey Johnson’s interview with YMCA Character Award honorees
A Husband Shares Why He Loves His Wife
It is so wonderful when you ask someone on the spot to talk about who in their life inspires them and gives their life meaning. Here, one Cincinnati area husband spontaneously shares what he loves about his wife. His response is pretty special.
In my public relations work for Beech Acres Parenting Center, I met them when I stopped by the organization’s free Hitched and Happy class, part of Beech Acres community-based Building Strong Marriages and Relationships Program. The goal is to empower couples with skills and strategies to establish positive attitudes, behaviors and patterns of emotional expression that lead to healthy habits for loving family relationships.
Don’t forget to check out My Sidekick and Me for fun and educational pet related posts.
A Teen’s Perspective On ‘Caring’
On April 17, 2012 Erin Daniels, a junior at North College Hill High School in Cincinnati, will be among 40 local students who will be honored by the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati as a YMCA Character Award recipient. Each of the honorees has her/her own very unique story of making a difference but what they all share is how they are role models for the character values of caring, respect, honesty and responsibility.
I was with Erin recently for a television interview and afterward asked her what it means to be ‘caring’. This is what she said.
YMCA Character Awards 2012 news release
2012 YMCA Character Award recipients 2012
The YMCA Character Awards Event will be April 17, 2012 at the School for Creative & Performing Arts. Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets for the event are $25 for an adult or $10 for a youth. To purchase a ticket, please call 513-246-3205.
I have a few tickets to give-a-way. I will be drawing on this coming Wednesday from among my Good Things Pledge champions. Not a champion yet? It’s simple. Just visit the page and add your contact information.
Mattie Stepanek…On Being A Champion
Today I’d like to share with you a poem by a young boy with a deep knowledge of what is most meaningful in life. At 13, Mattie Stepanak lost his courageous battle with a rare and fatal neuromuscular disease…but not before he shared his insights to make the world a better place. His words will forever be his legacy.
Monica Magette Is A Good Things Pledge Champion
Being a Good Things champion means you recognize that you have within yourself the power to do, feel and nurture good things. We all have that power. Some days we just need a little reminder and that is what the Pledge is all about.
Today Monica Magette became my newest Good Things Pledge champion.
I worked with Monica years ago and what I remember most about her is her huge smile that lights up a room and never 
seems to flicker. We ran into each other over the weekend and that smile is as brilliant as ever.
If you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Monica, she has spent many years working for area nonprofits including Lighthouse Youth Services and the Urban League of Greater Cincinnati where she helped coordinate large signature fundraising events. She has also given of her time to help causes in her neighborhood of Wyoming and through Greater Cincinnati. Now she is focusing on expanding her own company – I’Moni Events, LLC – to produce, manage and consult on events.
I asked Monica why she became a Good Things Pledge champion. “The Pledge is a reminder to spread joy and it becomes contagious,” she told me. “When you pledge to do good it becomes a commitment, and then you pass it along to other people.”
Are you a Good Things Pledge champion?
To become a champion, simply visit the Good Things Pledge page and fill in your name. I’ll send you a certificate.
