The children, parents, staff and volunteers of hematology/oncology at OU Children's Hospital attempted to break the Guiness Book of World Records on Valentine's Day by creating the longest heart-shaped pipe cleaner chain. It wrapped around the new Children's Hospital at least three times!
Sometimes the greatest PR moments happen, not because the PR machine was cranking, but because of a genuine, authentic desire to get the word out. Children, volunteers, parents, grandparents and medical staff sat in the small craft room of Children's Hospital for months shaping the thousands of heart shaped pipe cleaners that would create the chain. Kay and her wonderful army of volunteers wanted people to know of the struggles these children go through, but more than that, I think she wanted them to realize what valiant warriors these kids are. They turn life's most ordinary events into the extraordinary and remind us that life is not a commodity, it is a precious gift and should be celebrated. Most who were there knew this to be true by experience. A young teenager, David, passed away Friday. He was one of many who helped craft the heart-shaped chain.
It is touching to realize that many of these kids will go on to beat cancer. Maybe someday they will stumble across the Guiness World Record Book story and remember the longest heart-shaped pipe cleaner chain and smile. Maybe they will turn to their own kids and say, "see this crazy thing, I helped create it. I was there. It was 15 degrees outside, we spent months ...."
Since I usually blog about marketing and communications related events, I thought I would mention this here. Not to highlight some sort of PR "stunt", but to continue the stream of thought from yesterday's post regarding authentic branding. Children's Hospital is a great "brand" in our community. It is a great brand because of the people who work there. My wife and I have been to other Children's Hospitals with our children, and OU Children's has something big to be proud of. They are full of caring people (staff and volunteers) who help those of us struggling with illnesses to not merely survive, but to thrive even in the midst of arduous circumstances. You can view our photos from the event here.
