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« August 2024 | Main | October 2024 »
Launching the annual Drive Safe Chicago PSA Contest, inviting teens in the midwest to submit ideas for a public service message about sharing the road. Sponsored by the National Road Safety Foundation, the winner gets $2,000 and works with an Emmy-winning production team to create a 30-second TV message that will air nationwide.
Info at https://www.nrsf.org/contests/drive-safe-chicago
I met James Earl Jones twice. Once, very briefly, at an event supporting black theater that client McDonald's was sponsoring.
And again, years later when 'the Voice" was receiving a Christopher Award. I was handling publicity for the event.
Preceding the program, there was a reception with food and drink. James Earl Jones arrived just as the reception was ending and people were starting to go into the auditorium for the awards ceremony. I brought him to the green room and briefed him. Then we chatted a bit. I was trying to get him to talk ...about anything...just so I could hear his beautiful voice.
He then asked if I could find him some food, since he hadn't had a chance to eat and he had missed the food at our event. I went back into the kitchen and asked the guys there if they could put a plate together. The chef said, "Come back in 5 minutes."
When I went back to get the food, I mentioned that this was for James Earl Jones. All the guys in the kitchen got excited and said how much they liked his work.
As I brought the food to Mr. Jones, I told him how thrilled the kitchen crew was to prepare food for him. He thanked me for telling him and, before he ate a morsel, he asked me to take him to the kitchen. I took him back there and he thanked the whole crew, from chef to dishwasher, shaking hands with them all. Nobody else was there; no cameras or press.
After many years, I still remember what a classy man James Earl Jones was. And that voice!
For the National Road Safety Foundation, we're launching the 11th annual Drive Safe Chicago PSA Contest, working with the Chicago Auto Show.
We invite teens in the midwest to submit their ideas for a safe driving message. The winner gets to work with an Emmy-winning production team to make the idea into a finished 30-second TV spot that will eventually air on more than 170 TV stations nationwide.
Know a teen in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin or Iowa who might be interested? Check out the contest page at https://www.nrsf.org/contests/drive-safe-chicago
On the way to Indy this weekend for the 2024 Governors Highway Safety Association conference, representing the National Road Safety Foundation.