Today the Publicity Club of Chicago presented their Annual Golden Trumpet Awards at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago, honoring top public relations professionals and campaigns. Dominic Calabrese, my former teacher at Columbia College and director of public relations at my past internship location, the Chicago Lighthouse, invited me to join him and others from the Lighthouse at the award ceremony.
The Chicago Lighthouse won a Golden Trumpet in the community relations category for their “Seeing What’s Possible” campaign. I had just started my internship a month before a front page Wall Street Journal article sparked immense media coverage, including features in the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun-Times, and a news report on ABC World News. In addition, the article lit up political conversation about employing people who are blind. Congressman Danny Davis held a ten-minute speech on the House floor, urging government to buy from Chicago Lighthouse Industries and other industries that employ people who are blind. Senator Barack Obama visited the Lighthouse later. A well-deserved award for Dominic Calabrese and I am proud to have been a part of the campaign.
In the special events and observances category, another former employer won a Golden Trumpet for its Kohl Children’s Museum grand opening. Carol Fox & Associates’ Julie Gann and Nick Harkin won the award. I will have the pleasure to work with CF&A once again, as they have been hired for the Silk Road Chicago project.
Another former teacher, Herb Kraus, won the Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the media environment in Chicago. His class was one of my favorites, as he had an endless source of interesting guest lectures. In the program book, he credits his success “to his writing ability.” I like that.
Most remarkable campaign I learned about today: Making Sauerkraut Sexy. I am thrilled to have been associated in some way or another with three awards today. A good sign for things to come?