GROVELAND — John Guilfoil Public Relations (JGPR) proudly announces that the company received 12 awards at the 58th Bell Ringer Awards ceremony, and was a finalist for the top PR campaign of the year in New England for the second year in a row.

The Bell Ringer Awards are sponsored by the PR Club, a leading networking and education organization for public relations and communications professionals. The awards honor exceptional work in the field of public relations in New England.

“2025 was an amazing year for the women and men who serve the clients of JGPR. We introduced the world to the first America250 events in Lexington; we streamlined municipal communications in multiple states; we welcomed celebrities to Massachusetts; and we never let our guard down as we maintained a 24/7 vigilance for breaking news, assisting clients in 20 states,” said company founder John Guilfoil. “As I stood at the Bell Ringer ceremony on Thursday, watching our team receive awards in nearly half of the categories, I could not help but be moved by the efforts of our team and the faith that our clients put in us every day.”

JGPR was honored with two Gold Bell awards for its two-plus year campaign supporting and executing the 250th Anniversary of the Battle of Lexington (Lex250). Every member of the JGPR team worked with the Town of Lexington, the Lex250 Commission and nearly four dozen partner groups to highlight anniversary events and reintroduce Lexington’s role in the Revolutionary War to a worldwide audience. It was an aggressive, strategic multimedia campaign anchored by the Lex250 website and a week of culminating events that reached a worldwide audience of 15 billion viewers across more than 5,000 media mentions in broadcast, print, online and radio formats, with a social media campaign to match.

JGPR connected with local, national, and international media, helping to shine a light on an important historical event. The campaign was honored with Gold Bells in the Hospitality/Travel/Entertainment and Special Event Series categories.

By winning a Gold Bell for a campaign, JGPR became one of only five New England public relations agencies to be considered for the Platinum Super Bell, New England’s most prestigious PR award. JGPR was previously a Super Bell finalist in 2016 for its work on Gloucester’s Angel Initiative, and in 2025 for its work communicating the Dennis Police Department’s new Fourth of July beach public safety initiative.

In total, JGPR won two Gold Bells, three Silver Bells, two Bronze Bells and five Merit Awards.

Other outstanding work recognized included:

Nonprofit and Education

JGPR earned a Silver Bell for its efforts in highlighting the 50th anniversary of special education. Working in collaboration with the Massachusetts Organization of Educational Collaboratives, JGPR created a compelling storytelling campaign that highlighted the importance of special education services and the impact they have on students and families, and generated significant media attention.

Awardees: Director of Training, Education, and Development Paul Zinni, Senior Public Relations Associate Rory Schuler, Executive Producer Gerald Hinch and Senior Vice President Ben Paulin.

Campaign on a Shoestring Budget, and One-Time Special Event

JGPR assisted Tiverton, R.I., with a campaign to increase awareness about potential changes to the town’s curbside rubbish collection program. A key component was creating a town wide survey that empowered the town to make decisions based on quantitative engagement metrics.

This campaign earned two recognitions: a Silver Bell for Campaign on a Shoestring Budget and a Merit Award for One-Time Special Event.

Awardees: Account Manager Cody Shepard, Senior Public Relations Associate Rory Schuler, Director of Training, Education, and Development Paul Zinni and Executive Producer Gerald Hinch

One-Time Special Event

The Battle of Menotomy was the bloodiest battle in the beginning days of the Revolutionary War, and its least known. JGPR earned a Silver Bell for its work for Arlington250, organizing and supporting a July 4, 2025, visit by actor Kurt Russell and his son, Boston Russell, whose ancestor owned the Jason Russell House in Arlington, the site of the conflict.

Awardees: Principal John Guilfoil and Public Relations Associate Marc Larocque

Government/Public Affairs

A Bronze Bell for JGPR’s public education campaign assisting the Town of Georgetown’s successful efforts to pass a $6 million Proposition 2 1/2 override. With the Town and school district facing deep layoffs and service reductions, JGPR created a multifaceted program to ensure that voters had all the information they needed to cast an informed vote.

Awardees: Senior Public Relations Associate Kayla Rochon and Public Relations Account Director Tom Zuppa

Media/Influencer Event

It was a Christmas miracle: Stoughton Police officers delivering a baby in the back seat of a car on the morning of the holiday. With intense media interest, JGPR jumped into action on Christmas Day to organize a media availability the following morning, helping the department and its first responders gain national attention. This effort was recognized by a Bronze Bell.

Awardee: Account Manager Cody Shepard

Regional/Local Broadcast Placement

A Merit Award for supporting the City of Methuen’s public awareness campaign about human trafficking in the City and addressing the issue through aggressive code enforcement.

Awardee: Public Safety Liaison Robert Mills

Regional/Local Broadcast Placement

A Merit Award for amplifying the story of a Lowell boy who selflessly used a donated gift card to help his family, and efforts by the Lowell Police Department to ensure the boy had gifts at Christmas.

Awardee: Public Safety Liaison Robert Mills

Hospitality/Travel/Entertainment

For the second consecutive year, JGPR was honored in this category in support of the Town of Ludlow. Building on the success of its award-winning “Get Lost in Ludlow” campaign, JGPR created, managed and amplified the town’s first Restaurant Week with an aggressive multimedia campaign, boosting tourism and the business community, earning a Merit Award.

Awardees: Vice President Kristen Potter, Public Relations Associate Payton Hebert and Executive Producer Gerald Hinch

One-Time Special Event

A Merit Award for the “Find Yourself in Utah” police recruitment campaign. Working with the Utah Chiefs of Police Association, JGPR created and managed a one-day event that connected law enforcement with prospective candidates including high school and college students, along with job seekers from Utah and neighboring states, leading to positive results for local departments.

Awardees: Vice President Kristen Potter and Public Relations Associate Payton Hebert

JGPR won its first Bell Ringer in 2016 and has won 72 since the company’s founding in 2013.

The Bell Ringer Awards drew on hundreds of entries across more than 50 categories, ranging from single placements to year-long campaigns.

Additionally, the PR Club announced the winners of the Striker, Ringer, and Carillonneur professional awards, along with the John J. Molloy Crystal Bell for lifetime achievement and the Platinum Super Bell. 

The PR Club ceremony was held on Thursday, June 4 at the Museum of Science in Boston. It was hosted by Edgar B. Herwick III, host of “The Curiosity Desk” and co-host of “The Culture Show” on WGBH radio.

In keeping with tradition, the PR Club once again donated to the nonprofit organization of the host’s choice. This year, the PR Club raised over $600 through a raffle for WGBH Radio. 

About the PR Club
Founded in 1948, the PR Club strives to promote and encourage involvement in the communications industry and specifically the professions of public relations, promotions and marketing. Get additional information about monthly New England-based PR Club programs, social and networking events, the “Bell Ringer” blog and the Bell Ringer Awards Ceremony at prclub.org. 

About the Bell Ringer Awards
The Bell Ringer Awards recognize public relations and communications work that demonstrates excellence in creative planning and professional education and exhibits a high degree of success in reaching predetermined objectives. Open to all New England practitioners, the program, now in its 58th year, symbolizes one of the greatest tributes in any field of endeavor — the recognition of superior performance by one’s peers.

About John Guilfoil Public Relations
With the philosophy that every police and fire department and government agency deserves effective communications and public relations on the same scale as major corporations, John Guilfoil Public Relations produces clear, concise written materials, communications strategy, website development, and crisis management services for our clients and responds to breaking news incidents for more than 500 police and fire departments, public schools, and municipal governments, and nonprofits throughout the U.S. The company is based in Massachusetts and was founded by John Guilfoil, a former Boston Globe staff reporter who served as deputy press secretary for the late Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino. JGPR.net.