How Hollywood & Celebrities Can Be A Force For Good
Sixth Annual PIRATES Special Event
at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
Wednesday, February 10, 2010

With the heart of the television and entertainment industry in our own backyard, there are tremendous opportunities for nonprofits to tap into this powerful resource. This special PIRATES event, hosted by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, provides insights on how to identify, secure and maximize the value of celebrity involvement with your organization and to effectively collaborate with entertainment industry partners.

You will hear how one of L.A.’s most popular television news anchors has had a profound impact on the lives of children looking for adoptive homes and many other critical issues facing our community. You will hear how one of Hollywood’s brightest young stars is supporting the work of organizations helping homeless youth, autistic children, and arts education in our public schools. You will learn from a seasoned advertising and social marketing executive about how to create powerful celebrity PSA’s that motivate people to make positive changes in their lives.


Christine Devine has been a part of the Fox news team since 1990. She co-anchors the weeknight newscasts on Fox 11 10pm and sister-station Channel 13 11pm. She's won 14 Emmys, six for best newscast. Devine anchored live coverage of the Election nights of Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton as well as the passing of Michael Jackson, the OJ Simpson verdict, and major California earthquakes, floods and fires.

Devine is recognized for her community service and in 2009 was honored by the U.S. Congress. In 2008 was voted "Media Volunteer of the Year" by the Volunteers of America. She is well known for her Wednesday's Child segment, which showcases children in foster care waiting to be adopted... the hardest to place cases. Since 1994, there have been an estimated 500 adoptions and she has received three of the nations top awards for this work:

· The Congressional Coalition Institute on Adoption: "Angels in Adoption" (Nominated by Senator Dianne Feinstein)

· The Child Welfare League of America's "Anna Quindlen Award for Excellence in Journalism on Behalf of Children and Families"

· The Society of Professional Journalists' "Sigma Delta Chi Award for Public Service in Television Journalism"

Among Devine's other honors: the prestigious National Gracie Allen Award-American Women in Radio and Television, a National Emmy nomination, numerous local Emmy nominations for reporting, a Golden Mic for Best News Special, and two Greater Press Club awards, Best Anchor Team by the Associated Press (1996), and induction into Arizona State University's Hall of Fame at the Walter Cronkite School of Broadcast Journalism.

Devine is a co-founder of The Good News Foundation (www.thegoodnewsfoundation.org), a non-profit comprised of TV newswomen dedicated to honoring good news and good works in Los Angeles. GNF awards scholarships and sponsors a "Legacy Project," holds an annual clothing drive and allows low-income women to "shop" at a showroom they created, and conduct a computer lab for homeless children on skid row. They have sponsored an apartment at the Downtown Women's Shelter and sponsor The Urban Media Center for inner-city children and are building a park at an inner city school.

Devine has been honored before the LA City Council, LA County Board of Supervisors, and by the Los Angeles Police Department and LA County Sheriff's Department. In 2007, LAPD's Hollenbeck division named her with "Humanitarian of the Year."

You may know Romi Dames as the nasal-voiced super snobby socialite, Traci Van Horn, on Disney's "Hannah Montana". Romi has also lent her voice to Disney on the animated programs "Phineas & Ferb" and the brand-new series "Kick Buttowski". Other credits include recurring guest star roles on "The Young and the Restless" and "Bill Nye the Science Guy". Romi was nominated for a regional Emmy for hosting the teen news program, "Watch This!". Romi's background is in theater and sketch comedy; she recently wrote and performed in the annual CBS Comedy Diversity Showcase.

Romi spends much of her free time volunteering. She has hosted fundraisers and events for charitable organizations such as Covenant House LA (a facility for homeless youth), Special Spirit (an equestrian center focusing on autistic children), and APAHM (encouraging leadership in young Asian Americans). She assisted in fundraising for multiple charities, helped build houses with Habitat for Humanity, and teaches free improv workshops in public schools around Los Angeles. She has a warm spot in her heart for kittens and happy people.

Robert Berger, President, Healthier Solutions, Inc.
After more than a dozen years as a senior executive with major advertising agencies, Robert founded Healthier Solutions in 1993 to apply his creative marketing skills to issues and organizations he truly cared about. Since then, he has created award winning campaigns focusing on promoting the status and health of vulnerable populations around such issues as early detection and treatment of cancer, HIV/AIDS, obesity, the environment, tobacco prevention, social justice and language rights. He is also the creator and director of Checkoff California, a statewide media campaign that has helped California’s voluntary tax check-off program grow to $5 million in annual fundraising for a range of public health, environmental, and other social programs.

Robert has created powerful public service announcements with celebrities such as Maya Angelou, Queen Latifah, Celia Cruz, George Takei, Eartha Kitt, Cybill Shepherd, Phylicia Rashad, Debbie Allen and Jillian Michaels. His spots have received awards from PRSA and IABC, as well as a number of Buccaneers from PIRATES. He has been a long-term board member and is Immediate Past President of PIRATES and a member of the Entertainment Resources Professionals Association. He has a Bachelor's Degree in Marketing from New York University and a Master's Degree in Journalism from Northwestern’s Medill School.

Produced by Robert Berger and B. Harlan Böll

Date/Time:
Wednesday, February 10th, 2010
8:30am Check-in and Breakfast
9:00am Program (approx. 1 hour)

Place:
Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
(Academy Conference Centre)
5210 Lankershim Blvd. (at Magnolia),
North Hollywood, CA 91601 (map)

Cost: (includes parking in the Academy's parking structure)

MEMBERS - Breakfast Meeting How Hollywood & Celebrities Can Be A Force For Good Breakfast Members: $17.00
Non-Members - Breakfast Meeting How Hollywood & Celebrities Can Be A Force For Good $22.00

You can pay ahead of the meeting on-line via PayPal at piratesla.org or pay with cash or check at the door. We can not take credit cards at the door. If you are bringing cash, exact change is helpful!
Make All Checks Payable to:PIRATES Thanks!

RSVP:
Reserve by Monday, February 8th at noon to:
Val Logan at CityTV: val.logan@smgov.net
Call: 310-458-8590
If you reserve and fail to attend, you will be billed.