Nonprofits Shine at 2013 Minnesota PRSA Classics Awards

MINNEAPOLIS, April 8, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Minnesota chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) celebrated the best public relations programs of 2013 during the 36th annual Minnesota PRSA Classics Awards, held last night at the Nicollet Island Pavilion.

In a night with multiple nonprofit organizations receiving honors, it was PadillaCRT and Be the Match that took home this year's Best of Show award for the "Securing Congressional Support to Help Save Lives" campaign. Other nonprofits receiving honors included: American Academy of Neurology, Children's Hospitals and Clinics, Jobs for Minnesotans, Midwest Dairy Association, MinnesotaZoo, Medtronic Foundation, University of Minnesota Academic Health Center, and The Uptown Association.

In addition to recognizing the top public relations campaigns of the year, Minnesota PRSA honored Jim Lukaszewski, ABC, APR, Fellow PRSA, President of The Lukaszewski Group Division of Risdall Marketing with the Donald G. Padilla Distinguished Practitioner Award. The award recognizes an individual who is judged to have made selfless contributions to the community and has demonstrated exceptional professional achievement.

"In Minnesota, the public relations community has a strong tradition of developing and executing exceptional programs; all the winners in this year's Classics Awards showcased exceptional work," said Anna Lewicki Long, APR, president of Minnesota PRSA. "But what is even more impactful to me and our industry is the work that PR professionals do to strengthen our community. Campaigns like Be the Match and last year's Best of Show winner 'Hire Minnesota Veterans' demonstrate the power and potential of public relations in our society. I couldn't be prouder or our chapter and its members."

The 2014 Young Professional Award was bestowed to Shannon Heine at General Mills (formerly senior associate at Carmichael Lynch Spong). This award celebrates the accomplishments of exceptional young Minnesota PRSA members. Additionally, Student Classics Awards, recognizing some of the best public relations work from college students in the region were awarded to Laura Jollie, Mollie Bush, Ryan Pandl and Caitlin Whealon from the University of Minnesota.

2013 Best of Show Award

The 2013 Best of Show award was presented to PadillaCRT and Be The Match for the "Securing Congressional Support to Help Save Lives" campaign. Operated by the National Marrow Donor Program, Be the Match relies on volunteers across America to build the world's largest and most diverse marrow registry. In addition to securing national media coverage, PadillaCRT also provides Be the Match with legislative and grassroots advocacy support as federal funding can literally mean the difference between life and death for patients with deadly blood cancers like leukemia. Each year, PadillaCRT organizes and promotes a Legislative Day event in Washington, D.C. where patients and donors meet with legislators to share their powerful stories. For the 2013 campaign, PadillaCRT secured nearly 30 face-to-face meetings between patients, advocates, Be the Match leadership, and U.S. Congressmen and women garnering nearly 12,000 mentions in national media outlets; surpassing previous years.

About Minnesota PRSA Classics Awards

Since 1978, the Minnesota PRSA Classics Awards have recognized hundreds of organizations for excellence in public relations. The Classics are presented annually to public relations practitioners who, in the judgment of their peers, have successfully addressed a communications challenge with exemplary professional skill, creativity and resourcefulness.

The Classics Awards are divided into two categories: Elements and Programs. Elements Awards recognize outstanding individual components or tactics while Programs awards honor the best overall public relations campaigns. The highest scoring entries in the Programs Awards category are eligible for the top honor of the evening – Best of Show.

Programs Winners

Community Relations (Business/Industry)
50 Days of Uptown
The Uptown Association with Bellmont Partners

Community Relations (Government/Nonprofit)
100 Days of Making Safe Simple: Preventing Common Pediatric Injuries
Children's Hospitals and Clinics with Weber Shandwick

Institutional Programs (Business Industry)
Tanks of Thanks: Fueled by Good Deeds
CHS, Inc. with Exponent PR

Institutional Programs (Government/Nonprofit)
California Redwood Takes on Plastic Decking
California Redwood Association with Lemke Anderson

Special Events/Observances (Less Than 7 Days – Business/Industry)
Inspiring Consumers with Color
Sherwin-Williams with Carmichael Lynch Spong

Special Events/Observances (Less Than 7 Days – Government/Nonprofit)
Securing Congressional Support to Help Save Lives
Be The Match with PadillaCRT

Special Events/Observances (More Than 7 Days – Business/Industry)
Princess Kay of the Milky Way Turns 60
Midwest Dairy Association with Bellmont Partners

Special Events/Observances (More Than 7 Days – Government/Nonprofit)
It's On You: Inspiring the African American Community to Step Up and Save Lives
Be The Match with PadillaCRT

Public Service (Business/Industry)
Pin a Meal, Give a Meal: Land O'Lakes Inspires Virtual Donations
Land O'Lakes with Exponent PR

Public Service (Government/Nonprofit)
Anyone Can Save a Life with Ricky Rubio
Medtronic Foundation with Exponent PR

Public Affairs
Securing Congressional Support to Help Save Lives
Be The Match with PadillaCRT

Marketing Services (New – Budget Less Than $100,000)
A Need for Nurses
Rasmussen with Beehive PR

Marketing Services (Established – Budget Less Than $100,000)
3D Printing & the Future of Manufacturing
RedEye with Inprela

Marketing Products (New – Budget Less Than $100,000)
The Monsters Are Back
General Mills with Exponent PR

Marketing Products (New – Budget More Than $100,000)
Rebirth of an Iconic 112-year old American Brand: Indian Motorcycle
Indian with Skyya Communications

Marketing Products (Established – Budget Less Than $100,000)
Jack Link's Jerky National Jerky Day Rains On
Jack Link's with Carmichael Lynch Spong

23d.  Marketing Products (Established – Budget More Than $100,000)
On Your Mark, Get Set, Race Across America Powered by Trane
Trane Residential Solutions with Carmichael Lynch Spong

International Public Relations
"HUG"ing it Out With International Journalists
Honeywell with Weber Shandwick

Crisis/Issues Management
Preparing for a Crisis
AmeriPride Services with FleishmanHillard

Internal Communications
Living United Through the Deluxe United Way Campaign
Deluxe Corporation with Beehive PR

Investor Relations
The Heart of the Matter
Cardiovascular Systems Inc. with PadillaCRT

Integrated Communications (Products)
Reinvention Helps Land O'Lakes Appeal to New Generation of Home Cooks
Land O'Lakes with Exponent PR

Integrated Communications (Services)
Scream Collector: We Want Your Scream
Nickelodeon Universe with Preston Kelly

Integrated Communications (Government/Nonprofit)
California Redwood Takes on Plastic Decking
California Redwood Association with Lemke Anderson

Multicultural Public Relations
It's On You: Inspiring the African American Community to Step Up and Save Lives
Be The Match with PadillaCRT

Industry Campaign of the Year (Consumer Products)
Rebirth of an Iconic 112-year old American Brand: Indian Motorcycle
Indian Motorcycle with Skyya Communications

Industry Campaign of the Year (Technology)
The Hearing Pledge
3M with PadillaCRT

Industry Campaign of the Year (B2B)
The World Is Hungry: Answering the Need One Farmer at a Time
DuPont Crop Protection with Exponent PR

Health Care Industry Campaign of the Year
Healthcare Public Service Campaign Teaches How to Save a Life
Medtronic Foundation with Exponent PR

Nonprofit Industry Campaign of the Year
Jobs for Minnesotans Business/Labor Partnership
Jobs for Minnesotans with Weber Shandwick

Elements Winners

Brochures
Entering a Harsh Market
Pentair with PadillaCRT

Special Purpose Publications
Equipping Influencers to Share Flexible Fitness Program
Healthways, Inc. with Risdall Public Relations

Multimedia
See the Difference – DuPont Approach Fungicide
DuPont Crop Protection with Exponent PR

Annual Reports (Business/Industry)
A 360 Degree View of Rural America
Farm Credit Mid-America with Exponent PR

Annual Reports (Government/Nonprofit)
Minnesota Zoo – Timeless
Minnesota Zoo

Media Kits
Uptown Art Fair Media Kit
The Uptown Association with Bellmont Partners

Newsletters
Shining a Spotlight on Local Experts
DuPont Crop Protection with Exponent PR

Magazines
'C' the World Through CHS
CHS, Inc. with Exponent PR

Media Relations (Business/Industry less than $100,000)
The Monsters Are Back
General Mills with Exponent PR

Media Relations (Business/Industry more than $100,000)
Reinvention Helps Land O'Lakes Appeal to New Generation of Home Cooks
Land O'Lakes with Exponent PR

Media Relations (Government/Nonprofit)
American Academy of Neurology Sports Concussion Campaign
American Academy of Neurology

Feature Writing
Decoding Her New Normal: Marketing to Women Post-Recession
Carmichael Lynch Spong

Technical Writing
Just the Fracts, Ma'am: The Facts About Fracturing
Rockwell Automation with PadillaCRT

Speech Writing
From Cassettes to Coffee to the Cloud
Imation Corp. with PadillaCRT

Websites (Business/Industry)
Modernizing ExponentPR.com
Exponent PR

Websites (Government/Nonprofit)
Health Talk: A health news blog
University of Minnesota Academic Health Center

Social Media (Business/Industry)
Big G Cereal Wars
General Mills with Olson Engage

Social Media (Government/Nonprofit)
Capturing #exploreMN Fall Colors on Instagram
Explore Minnesota Tourism with Exponent PR

Creative Tactics
Refurbishing an Icon with Sherwin-Williams
Sherwin-Williams with Carmichael Lynch Spong

Student Winners
Student Classics Awards competition showcasing some of the best public relations work from college students in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

Special Purpose Publications
Surviving a Financial Crisis: How the Insurance Industry Didn't Get Booted Off the Island
Laura Jollie from the University of Minnesota

Planning
University of Minnesota SJMC Digital Media Campaign Plan
Mollie Bush, Ryan Pandl and Caitlin Whealon from the University of Minnesota

About Minnesota PRSA

Chartered in 1949, Minnesota PRSA is the ninth largest chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), the world's largest organization for public relations professionals with nearly 32,000 professional and student members. PRSA is organized into 112 chapters nationwide, including 14 Professional Interest Sections that focus on specific industries and practice areas. Minnesota PRSA is comprised of more than 350 professionals from agency, corporate, non-profit, government and freelance sectors. (http://www.mnprsa.com/)

EDITOR'S NOTE: If you have questions or wish to schedule an interview with a Minnesota PRSA member, please contact Catherine Roman at 262-510-5624 or [email protected].

Media Contact:
Catherine Roman
262-510-5624
[email protected]

SOURCE Minnesota PRSA