Fall 2008 PPA Charities newsletter

PPACH Newsletter
President’s Message
Happy Fall everyone! Thank you so
much for your continued support and
contributions to PPA Charities. We are all
looking forward to Imaging USA 2009 in
Phoenix, Arizona. As usual, we will kick off
the convention with a party and a fabulous
auction. This year should prove to be even
more amazing with the addition of so many
fabulous speakers not to mention the lovely
and talented Anne Geddes. We plan to not
only auction off VIP seating for this event,
but will offer many, many other awesome
items for winning.
This year we will also host a Golf
Tournament on Saturday morning. This
should prove to be a great and relaxing way
to gear up for a great show. Please plan on
coming out early and joining us for both of
these exciting events.
Our relationship with Operation Smile
continues to grow each year and they are
so appreciative of everything that we have
done for their organization. Our Family
Portrait Month was a HUGE success again
last year and we were able to donate $52,000
to Operation Smile. We know that this will
change the lives of many children.
I hope that you are all currently signed
up and participating in this year’s Family
Portrait Month promotion. Thanks to Ann
Monteith, Angela Weedon, and PPA
Staff, we now have a wonderful on-line
community and resource center for all
Family Portrait Month participants. Please
log on today and check it out at www.
ppacharities.com.
Earlier this year we made some great
changes to our PPA Charities board.
Harvey Goldstein, a long time PPA
Charities board member, has agreed to
serve as Vice-President for the 2008 year.
I am so excited to continue working with
Harvey and look forward to his great ideas
and leadership. We also welcomed two new
board members, Ann Monteith and Cindy
Romaguera. Both of these women bring
so much enthusiasm and talent to the board
that we know it is going to be another great
year!
I am looking forward to autumn and all
of the new possibilities that it will bring.
I always joke that my life seems to be on
fast forward and it is more evident as my
children celebrate yet another birthday.
I have also spent too much time this year
feeling anxious about the economy and
my business. However, as my life keeps
passing me by, I realize just how lucky I
truly am. My children look at me and flash
gorgeous toothy smiles and my clients give
me shy grins. We are so blessed. Please
remember that all children are not this
fortunate and we have the power to change
this, one smile at a time.
Peace, Love and Joy
Mary
President, PPA Charities
October 2008
PPA Charities
Celebration Event 2009
PPA Charities hosts a “Celebration” event
Saturday evening before PPA’s Imaging
USA (the national convention in January)
officially begins. The celebration event
will take place at Alice Coopers Town in
Phoenix, just two blocks from Convention
Center and features fun, fellowship, and
food. The evening kicks off with a VIP
Cocktail Hour from 8-9pm. VIP Cocktail
Hour tickets are only $35 and include hors
d’oeuvres and an open bar. The doors open
to all convention attendees at 9pm, and the
fun continues with the live/silent auction,
the check presentation to Operation Smile,
and music and dancing.
Mark your calendar now to attend the PPA
Charities’ Celebration on January 10, 2009,
in Phoenix. Order your tickets when you
register for Imaging USA or call 800-7866277.
PPA Charities
Golf Tournament
Join fellow PPA photographers and exhibitors
at the first annual PPA Charities Golf
Tournament. We will be playing at the ASU
Karsten Golf Course in Tempe on Saturday,
January 10, 2009, with an 8:00am Shotgun
Start. Your $150 registration fee (or $550 for
a foursome) will include:
• Golf fee and car fees
• Practice balls before your event
• Custom score cards
• Sparky Club Crest (ASU bag tag)
• Course information guides
• Custom welcome letter on golf cars
• Official scoring by professional
staff
• Sun Devil Patio Awards BBQ
Awards Luncheon following golf
• Four-Person Scramble Teams
• Prizes for longest drive, putt and
team Scores
• Goodie bag of gifts from PPA
vendors
For more information or to register,
please go to www.ppacharities.com.
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A Message from the
Executive Director
PPA Charities is having another banner
year with continued support from PPA
photographers and our industry supporters.
Our annual Family Portrait Month
promotion looks to again be our biggest
fundraiser, supporting Operation Smile
and the children they help. If you haven’t
signed up yet, go to www.ppacharities.
com to do so, you can also check out www.
operationsmile.org to see the wonderful
organization we are supporting.
And while on our website, check out some
of our other opportunities to get involved.
On Saturday, January 10, 2009 we will be
holding two events to kick off Imaging
USA in style. Our first ever PPA Charities
Golf Outing is a great way to relax, meet new friends and network with industry leaders.
Held at the ASU Karsten course, it is sure to be a great way to start your trip to the
Phoenix area.
Later that evening, join us at our PPA Charities Celebration Event. We’ve changed it up
a little this year to make it more social and a lot of fun. We’re going a few blocks away
from the convention center to Alice Cooperstown, a local establishment started by the
legendary rocker Alice Cooper! It’s a combination of sports and music sure to be a blast.
For those of you wanting a more social event, our VIP hour will start at 8:00 p.m. for a
limited number of participants. For only $35 you will get hors d’ouevres and an open bar
for the hour. You’ll also be able to get first viewing of all of our very cool auction items
and admission to the venue as well as first shot at seating. This will sell out, so act now!
At 9:00 p.m. our Live Auction and the check presentation to Operation Smile will be
center stage for our event, and everybody is welcome to attend this. This will also be the
time to get in any last minute bids on our Silent Auction and then at 10:00 p.m. the music
goes live with a great band where you can dance the night away or just hang out.
If you want to sign up for either of these events, you can do so when you register at www.
PPA.com, or go to www.ppacharities.com to get a form for the Golf Outing. You can
always e-mail me at bbehnke@ppa.com for questions or info.
And be sure to stop by our booth in the trade show, we’ll have the Loan Collection
Album DVDs, awesome t-shirts and special guests stopping by to show support for PPA
Charities and the work we do. And probably lots of other surprises as there always are.
We look forward to seeing you in Phoenix.
Bert Behnke, Executive Director
PPA Charities
Thank You
PPA Charities thanks the following
individuals who support us by being
the high bidders at our Auction Event at
Imaging USA 2008 in Tampa: Randy
Taylor, Anthony Rumley, Ed Pedi,
Christian Heurich, Gail Nogle, LeeAnn
LaFleur, Alan Boutot, Gus Dunlop,
Tammie Sybelnik, Mari Darr-Welch,
Susan Michal, Farrah Braniff, Dot
Ward,
Robert
Summitt,
Bobbie
Whitman, Audrey Wancket, George
Kerutis, Don Dickson, Deborah Boyd,
Maresa Carlson, David Grupa, Michael
Dill, Denise Clark, Ralph Romaguera,
Rusty Pendleton, Ginny Otto, Barb
Primm, Rick Gibbons, Loretta Young,
Bobbie Lloyd, Darren Martinez, Steve
Jeffords, Veronica Leal, Roger Daines,
Judy Grann, Dave Junion, Rex Truell,
Donna Swiecichowski, Krish Kiefer,
Tracy Budabin, Peter Horn, Cindy
Smith, Bert Behnke, Sarah McGanghan,
Hue Harshaw and Connie Behnke.
And a special congratulations and thanks
to the following degree recipients who
donated to PPA Charities during the degree
photo sessions: Marc Benjamin Anacta,
Leslie Artis-Gan, Michael Barton,
Russell Bauer, Jeffrey Bauman, Arline
Beets, Irene Benavente, Dennis Berry,
Alan Boutot, William Branson, Kevin
Brown, Ryan Brown, Heidemarie Burke,
Susan Cecil, Al & Kathy Clapper, Steve
Clark, Fred Cockrill, Jeffrey Dachowski,
Michael DeMartino, Frank Donnino,
Susan Drew, Bill Freeman, Richard
Gaffney, Matthew Gilstrap, Allen
Griggs, Barb Hamilton, Bob Hancock,
Larry Harrington, Robert Harris, Peggy
Hatfield, R. Neil Haugen, Patti HealyKelly, Jung Rae Her, Mindy Hesslink,
Todd Hicken, Michael Hill, Jenny Hollis,
Kwon Cheng Hollis, Jacqueline Jicks,
Kevin Jiminez, Lewis Kincheloe, Ken
Knenegn, Jong Kwang Ko, Brad Lamb,
Gregory Lehr, Iskandar Leonardi, Chris
Lommel, Jessica Lozoya, Matt Lucas,
Cheryl MacCallum, Anthony Marill,
Paula McCarty, Rodney McClanahan,
Ally McKay, Clint McClennan, Paula
Mignogno, MaryEllen Miller, Kevin
Newsome, Sue Rakes, Raul Ramos, Cliff
Ranson, Wayne Reese, Cheryl Ridgeway,
Joe Robinson, Paul Rogers, Ralph
Rookey, Charles Rouse, Jill Sanders,
Mike Scott, Kimberly Smith, Debra
(Please turn to page 5)
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3
Terry Farmer Goes on an Operation Smile Journey
Terry Farmer from Springfield, Illinois, the individual who raised the most money in the
2007 Family Portrait Month, traveled to Santa Cruz, Bolivia last March to document an
Operation Smile excursion.
In the sultry heat of a Bolivian fall, dozens of prospective patients and their families
greeted the 40 medical and non-medical volunteers at Hospital Japones in Santa Cruz.
They came hoping for surgery to change their lives through Operation Smile.
More than 200 children were screened in a two
day process before surgeries began. Through
the chaos that accompanies a mass gathering
of people was order born of experience - 11
such Operation Smile missions to Bolivia
and dozens in other countries. Indelible
images were everywhere - the grade school
girl with the ready smile, thick dark braids
- and the horrifically deformed nose; infants
with cleft pallets sucking on bottles - even a
grandmother whose only wish was to smile
without shame for her five grandchildren.
The volunteer team came from the United States, Canada, Ecuador and Honduras. We
would endure some intensely personal and painful days together.
4
PPA Charities Continues to Grow
By Mary Fisk-Taylor
PPA Charities continues top grow and help others. 2008 has been one of our busiest years
as we continue to partner with Operation Smile and “change lives, one smile at a time.”
Plans are already underway to improve Family Portrait Month, our largest fundraising
effort as well as expand PPA Charities to the many PPA Affiliates all over the country. This
newsletter contains information to help you see that each one of us can participate to help
make the world a better place.
But before we tell you what lies ahead, let’s do a short recap on 2007 and how PPA
Charities did.
Family Portrait Month continues to attract participants who use it as a way to generate
sales and awareness for their studios. The promotion, administered by our partner,
Marathon Press, saw almost 400 studios participate. By the time 2007 ended, we had
collected $52,000 which we were able to donate to Operation Smile at our Celebration
Event at IUSA in Tampa. And even after the end of the year, donations continued to arrive,
and as of today, almost $5000 has already been collected which we will be adding to our
donation from 2008 Family Portrait Month!
Memorial donations saw a sharp increase in 2007 as PPA members made PPA Charities
their choice when making donations in honor of their photography friends. Whether it was
to honor those who have passed on and meant so much to so many, or to honor a milestone
birthday or photographic achievement, PPA members honored them with a contribution
to PPA Charities.
Our Celebration Event was a great success thanks to the many vendors and friends of
PPA Charities who donated items to our auction and bought tickets to our event. Over
$20,000 was raised at this event that continues to grow as the unofficial opening of IUSA.
This year’s event in Phoenix promises to be even bigger and better. Save the date of
Saturday, January 10, 2009 and watch for details in our newsletters and PPA convention
information.
And new this year, was our soon to be famous “INwear” the collection of t-shirts and
hoodies with your favorite slogans and our universally recognized heart symbol. This,
along with the Loan Collection Album DVDs continues to be a way to support PPA
Charities with your purchases.
Finally, we would like to introduce our PPA Charities Board of Trustees to you for
2008. President Mary Fisk-Taylor of Virginia; Vice President Harvey Goldstein of
Connecticut; Board Chair and PPA Liaison Carol Andrews of Texas; Treasurer Scott
Kurkian, PPA’s CFO; Lori Craft of Michigan (and first lady of PPA); David Grupa of
Minnesota; Cindy Romaguera of Texas; Ann Monteith of Pennsylvania; Randy Taylor
of Oklahoma; Steve Troup from Ohio and Angela Weedon of Texas. Bert Behnke of
Illinois serves as our Development Director and staff liaison.
Thank You
(continued from page 2)
Sportel, Jane Staid, Thomas Strumpel,
Lowell Toole, Shannon Turner, Walter
Van Dusen, Shaun Voegele, Suzanne
Walcott, Peggy Warmolts, Steve
Williams, Jacqueline Willich, Paul
Wingler, Gary Woods, Webster Wright,
Kathie Wurtzler and Sin Woong You.
And as of today, the following have agreed to serve as Honorary Trustees to represent
their state or local affiliates and help us grow PPA Charities. Keri Austin (TX); Audrey
Wancket (IL); Helene Glassman (CA); Jim Brammer (CA); Denise Stana (TX); John
Stein (MD); Marie Martineau (WA); Cindy Behnke (IL); Kay Eskridge (AZ); Barb
Primm (IL); Suzanne Burns (GA); Brooke Durham (CA); Joan & Rene Genest (CT);
Lori Nordstrom, David Petrick (IA); Cheryl Ridgeway (IL); Linda Durham (KY);
Nancy Holowitz (MA); Lisa Kammerman (MD); Angela Carson (MI); Rick Gibbons
(NC); Candace Pratt Stiteler (NH); Sandra & Gary Thibeault (RI); Barbara White
(TN); Jennifer Turner (TX); Cathy Benton (VA); Laura Bruschke (UT); Miyo Strong
(UT); Cindy Baxter (WV); Sandy Puc’ (CO); Paul Bernstein (NY); Rick English
(MA) and Dave Junion (WI).
If you would like to volunteer, contact bbehnke@ppa,com; we can always use a few more
volunteers. Honorary Trustees assist in bringing PPA Charities events and representation
to our affiliates as well as being involved in various capacities at IUSA events.
Please take a look at the rest of this newsletter and hopefully you can also find a way to
get involved.
5
Texas School Buys Some Smiles!
By Cindy Romaguera, Texas School Trustee and PPACH Board Member
When Texas School 2008 started its week
April 27th, little did we know that we would
be able to do something that would change
the lives of children by giving them a smile
through PPA Charities, but we were also
able to change the looks of our Director,
Don Dickson.
2008 Celebration Event
With almost 200 in attendance, this years
Celebration Event was a “must-be-there”
gathering. A Who’s Who of PPA dignitaries
joined PPA members for a fun-filled
evening of auctions, programs and two
check presentations!
Almost $25,000 was raised by ticket sales,
our silent and live auctions, a split-thepot raffle and a t-shirt auction! Auctioneer
Louis Tonsmeire kept the action rolling all
night. A hot bidding war between Sandy
Puc’ and Dave Junion over an autographed
book by Howard Schatz ended with Dave
getting a $1000 book! And Connie Behnke
made sure a portrait of her son, PPA Past
President Bert Behnke sporting an 80’s
style “afro” haircut, was kept in the family
with her high bid!
Don challenged the students, instructors and
vendors to raise money for PPACH. If we
raised $5,000.00, he would shave his head!
If we raised $10,000.00, instructor, Ralph
Romaguera, PPA Board member (and my
husband!) would shave his head!
Several classes raised enough money to
“Buy a Smile” ($240.00 each). Some raised
enough to buy two smiles! Thank you Texas
School!
In a surprise presentation, Twin Cities PPA
representatives Mark Kiefer and Amy
Zellmer, presented a $4800 check to PPA
Charities from their holiday fundraiser that
saw TCPPA member David Grupa raise it
by having members shave his head. Bald
IS beautiful!
When all was said and done, Bert Behnke,
PPACH Director and Mary Fisk-Taylor,
President of PPACH (and one of the Texas
School Instructors) were on hand to tally up
the donations. The total came to $4400.00.
When they announced this news, Bill
Porter of Arlington Camera stepped up
to the plate once again and donated the
remaining $600.00 it would take for Don to
shave his head!
Charlcey Dickson, Don’s wife, was a little
teary eyed as the razor started buzzing! On
hand to witness the “shaving” in addition
to Bert and Mary were other PPACH
Board members: Carol Andrews and Don
MacGregor, PPA Board representatives,
Trustees Ann Monteith, Cindy Romaguera,
Scott Kurkian along with PPA President,
Dennis Craft and PPA Board Members,
Ron Nichols, Ralph Romaguera and Doug
Box.
Thank you Don, for the sacrifice in the name
of PPACH!
Even though I would have loved to raise
$10,000.00 for PPACH to buy smiles, I am
really enjoying being able to run my fingers
through my husband’s hair!
Sorry, Charlcey!
We would like to thank our sponsors for
a great event. First and foremost, Judy
Grann of SuccessWare, sponsored the
event on behalf of her 100 best clients! We
also want to thank our partners, Marathon
Press and PPA, for all of their in-kind
support and Sony for sponsoring the gift
pictures for attendees.
Auction donors included Ann and Jim
Monteith’s Deep Creek home, Ron Nichols
Digital Solutions, Proselect, Light Pro
Expo, Pro4Um, Eastman Kodak, Larson
Enterprises, RNDS Production Music,
Dahle Paper trimmers, Gina Alexander
Handbags, Tamrac, Simply Canvas, Rice
Photo Supply, White House Custom Colour,
Tamron, Pentax, Neil Enterprises, Tafota
Marketing, Collages.net, SuccessWare,
NIK Software, GW Moulding, OnOne
Software, Backgrounds by David Maheu,
Tenba/MAC Group, Howard Schatz,
Christian Heurich, Marriott, PPA, the
Florida Aquarium, Arnold Palmer,
(Please turn to page 7)
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2008 Celebration
(continued from page 6)
Minnesota Wild Hockey Club, Minnesota
Vikings Football, John Woodward and
Joyce Tenneson.
Also a thank you goes to PPA Affiliate
Schools – Illinois Workshops, NEIPP,
Texas School, Bahamas School, Triangle
Institute, Colorado Workshops, MAIPP and
Treehaven. PPA members donated various
educational items – Sarah Petty, Eddie
Tapp, Jack Reznicki, Helen Yancy, Doug
Box, Carl Caylor, Jeff & Julia Woods,
Jed & Vicki Taufer, Ron Nichols, David
Ziser, Hayes & Fisk, Mary Mannix, Lori
Nordstrom, Rick Avalos, Gavin, Dennis
& Lori Craft, Kirk Voclain, Mitch Graff
and Ralph Romaguera.
The evening was completed with an
extraordinary presentation by Tony
Corbell to his friend, the late, great Dean
Collins. His moving tribute showed work
by both of these great Masters as well as
telling the story of Dean Collins and his
ability to teach others and truly change the
way education is presented in our industry.
Finally, the photo on the top of the next
two columns shows the real reason
PPA Charities exists, to help those less
fortunate. In our third year of partnering
with Operation Smile, a check of $52,000
was presented representing the funds raised
by PPA members during Family Portrait
Month. Pictured left to right, PPA Charities
Trustees: Bert Behnke, Development
Director; Sandy Puc’, PPA Board;
Randy Taylor; Harvey Goldstein; Doug
Peninger, Vice President; Carl Treleaven,
Operation Smile; Helen Yancy; Ann
Monteith; Mary Fisk-Taylor, President
and David Grupa.
“Those who would administer
their surplus wealth wisely must,
indeed, be wise, for one of the serious
obstacles to the improvement of our race
is indiscriminate charity. It were better
for mankind that the millions of the rich
were thrown into the sea than so spent
as to encourage the slothful,
the drunken, the unworthy.”
- Andrew Carnegie
PPA Charities Golf Tournament Registration
Join fellow PPA photographers and exhibitors at the first annual PPA Charities Golf
Tournament. We will be playing at the ASU Karsten Golf Course in Tempe on Saturday,
January 10, 2009 with an 8:00am Shotgun Start. Your $150 registration fee (or $550 for
a foursome) will include:
• Golf fee and Car fees
• Practice Balls before your event
• Custom Score Cards
• Sparky Club Crest (ASU bag tag)
• Course Information Guides
• Custom Welcome Letter on golf cars
• Official Scoring by professional staff
• Sun Devil Patio Awards BBQ Awards Luncheon following golf
• Four Person Scramble Teams
• Prizes for Longest Drive, Putt and Team Scores
• Goodie Bag of gifts from PPA vendors
The ASU Karsten Golf Course requires traditional golf attire; collared shirts for men,
collared or with sleeves for ladies, shorts mid-thigh in length (please, no denim), and
spike-less golf shoes.
Please include me for the golf outing:
Name _________________________________________ Phone __________________
Address ________________________________________________________________
City _______________________________________ State ______ Zip _____________
E-Mail _____________________________________ Individual Golfer? Yes No
If signing up as a foursome/team, please list other three players:
_________________________ _________________________ ____________________
Event Payment
Please select one of the following methods of payment:
[ ] Individual @ $150 [ ] Foursome @ $550
[ ] Check Payable to PPA Charities enclosed
[ ] Credit card payment CC# ______________________________________ exp ______
Mail or FAX this form to: Bert Behnke
PPA Charities Executive Director
20600 S. Old Wolf Road
Mokena, IL 60448
FAX: 708-479-7950
“Charity knows neither
race nor creed”
- Talmud
“Charity is disinterested, seeking no reward,
nor allowing itself to be deminished by
any return of evil for its good”
- Aldous Huxley (1864-1963)
7
The slogans listed above are available on the PPA Charities t-shirts.
8
Photo
o by Terry Farmer
9
Virginia Professional
Photographers Making a
Difference!
By Mary Fisk-Taylor
On February 29, 2008, the VPPA (Virginia
Professional Photographers Association)
gathered in Portsmouth, Virginia for our
annual membership brunch. This year we
decided that we really wanted to make a
difference and hold a photographers auction
during the meal. The VPPA board agreed to
let all of the proceeds benefit PPA Charities
this year instead of our state scholarship
fund. Our VPPA treasurer, Polly Frye,
said that we had enough money this year
to give away scholarships and this money
would be better served helping the children
through Operation Smile.
We had seven local studios volunteer to be
auctioned off at the brunch. Each studio
agreed that they would spend one day with
the winning bidder at their studio or they
could come and visit the mentor’s studio. This decision was completely up to the
winning bidder. The date for the meeting
had to be mutually agreed upon by both the
mentor and the winning bidder. So, I played auctioneer and started the event
by explaining a little about PPA Charities
and Operation Smile. I also made sure that
everyone knew that it would take less than
$250.00 to change a child’s life and I really
did not want any photographer to go for less
than a child’s smile. Each mentor got up
and told a little about themselves and their
studio specialties. They walked around
and encouraged friends and competitors
to spend more money for the charity as the
auction ensued. It was so much fun!
Being the auctioneer and desperate to make
more money, I would let the bidding get
to the final number and ask if the last two
or three bidders would both be willing to
spend the last bid amount and they could
each have their own day with the mentor.
Everyone agreed and each mentor was
happy to give another day of leadership. A northern Virginia studio owned by Bill
and Marie Piacesi offered a day learning
the lighting and composition of glamour
photography. When the bidding stalled out
at $500, Bill stood up and offered to print
competition prints for any and all of the
winners. The bids started going up from
there and they made a lot more money.
When my studio came up for bid, I was
10
hoping that we would be able to meet the minimum. Well, when the numbers started going
higher and higher I came up with a brilliant idea to up the ante. I announced that I would
throw in my business partner, Jamie Hayes, to assist the winning bidder at a wedding and
rehearsal dinner!! Jamie was a little shocked but took it in stride. We sold three days and
much to Jamie’s dismay three weddings and rehearsal dinners.
When the auction was all said and done, we raised over $7,000! This contribution will
change the lives of many, many children. This entire event took less than 45 minutes
and it was a lot of fun. The members of VPPA challenge each and every other state
organization to do the same thing. Hold an auction or similar event during your state
seminars and conventions. The time commitment is minimal, the fun is boundless and
the change that can be made is endless.