KKPR's communications efforts were instrumental in St. Mary's School in Swormville, NY securing a $50,000 Pepsi Refresh Grant for a new school playground.  KKPR directed a messaging and social media strategy over a 30-day period, during which supporters were reminded to cast their electronic votes three ways each day.  Competing against hundreds of projects nationwide, most involving significantly larger non-profit agencies, KKPR's social media and grassroots/internal communication outreach led to a top ten category finish for the school, resulting in the grant award. The success of the campaign attracted television news coverage on WGRZ-TV, the local NBC affiliate and community-wide social media sites. Sr. Sheila Anne Burke, school principal, credits the win to the unprecedented community and parish-wide support.

Karen Karaszewski, APR, directed internal and external communication for St. Mary's new church dedication on June 5, 2010.  The event was covered extensively by print and electronic media, including a Page 1 story in The Buffalo News.  Social media was utilized to engage parishioners in dedication weekend activities and spread the word about St. Mary's Parish.  More than 300 new families have joined the parish since the dedication.




  

KKPR and More than Words received a silver Excalibur Award from the Public Relations Society of America Buffalo-Niagara Chapter in the category of media relations for their project “An Extreme Makeover for Buffalo and David Homes.” For the past 21 years, The Excalibur Awards have recognized PR excellence in
Western New York. KKPR coordinated local media relations for Extreme Makeover Home Edition in November 2009, in association with More Than Words. Wall-to-wall local coverage during the week-long Buffalo build resulted in the most volunteers in the show’s history and an amazing neighborhood transformation on
Buffalo’s West Side.



Karen Karaszewski, APR, stands in front of the Hero House on Buffalo's West Side.