Dozens of projects for nonprofits completed in 12th annual CreateAthon

24 hours of work results in 35 marketing pieces, more than $350,000 in nonprofit marketing

Earlier this month, the team at J. Fitzgerald Group in Lockport gave up a night’s sleep to give so much more back to five deserving nonprofit organizations during the 12th annual CreateAthon event.

The nonstop work kicked off at 8 a.m. Thursday, July 18, with representatives from each of the nonprofit organizations and media vendors meeting to provide last-minute input and direction to the creative team. Then the work began, with 35 different projects being completed during the following 24 hours, including multiple gatefold brochures, radio and television scripts, social media guides and templates, pull-up banners, posters, billboards and more being written, designed and revised for the benefit of the not-for-profit groups.

The following morning, the exhausted team presented the completed work to representatives from each of the five groups before returning home for a well-deserved rest.

“This was another great year in terms of the number of projects we created,” said Jack Martin, president and co-owner of JFG. “The team cranked out some incredible work in a short amount of time – and on no sleep. The groups were all very appreciative, which makes it all worthwhile.”

Five groups were selected for the 2019 edition of CreateAthon: The Teacher’s Desk, Lockport CARES, Families of FANA of WNY, the Lockport Ice Arena & Sports Center and the Oglala Lakota Children’s Justice Center. Thanks to the support of media vendors, printing service providers and digital advertising partners, JFG was able to provide the groups with more than $200,000 in addition to the completed work, which is valued at approximately $350,000.

Over 12 years, the total value of completed work and media support has totaled almost $4 million in support of 75 nonprofit organizations in need in Western New York and beyond.

“Our team always does amazing work – but this is by far the best in my opinion, because it comes from the heart,” Martin said. “There’s nothing better than making a difference for a group that would otherwise not be able to afford the work.”

Held annually, CreateAthon is part of a national effort to give back to local communities. JFG hosts the only CreateAthon event in Western New York, and is the longest-standing partner of the national CreateAthon effort in the U.S. CreateAthon applicants were evaluated for inclusion based on audience reach, the ability of services to make an impact on the nonprofit organization and the communities they serve, and the scope of each organization’s financial need. This year’s event had a specific focus on benefitting nonprofit groups that work to help underserved and underprivileged children.

Learn more about CreateAthon and JFG’s history with the event by visiting jfitzgeraldgroup.com/createathon.

CreateAthon was founded in 1998 by Riggs Partners, an advertising agency in Columbia, South Carolina. Since its inception, Riggs has partnered in the coordinated CreateAthon effort with more than 100 advertising and marketing firms across the U.S. and Canada. J. Fitzgerald Group is the exclusive partner in Western New York.

JFG is an integrated marketing company specializing in full-service branding, digital and traditional advertising, web design and research. JFG’s clients span local, regional and worldwide markets. For more information, visit www.jfitzgeraldgroup.com.