A 6-year-old girl in Chelmsford, Mass., endured a long battle with a high-risk risk neuroblastoma, a rare and aggressive form of childhood cancer. While currently cancer-free, she takes medication to ensure the cancer does not return.
When the Chelmsford Police Department learned about her and her love of dressing up in police gear, they sprung into action. They reached out to the nonprofit Cops for Kids with Cancer to arrange a donation to her family to assist with medical costs. And they reached out to a uniform manufacturer to create a custom, child-sized official uniform for the girl.
JGPR staff coordinated with all parties to arrange for media availability. A media advisory was shared with Boston and regional outlets, and staff followed up on the day of the event. At the event, a JGPR staff member served as liaison between participants and media, ensuring that they had access and necessary information. The staff member also supported the client by writing a follow-up press release and taking photos.
With JGPR’s assistance, the media availability attracted three Boston television stations and the Sun of Lowell, the local newspaper. The event received more than two dozen media mentions with a total audience of more than 325,000.
Further, a photo from the event was selected as Photo of the Week by Police1, an industry site followed by law enforcement around the world.
It’s the kind of story that aligns with JGPR’s mission of ensuring that the public and media have a full and fair understanding of the jobs of first responders. We live by FEMA’s 95/5 Rule: 95 percent of communications from any municipal agency should be proactive and positive or neutral to increase awareness and confidence in those who serve.