Fall 2012
OUTREACH
11
Every
year,
Ocean State Job
Lot,
a
leading
closeout
retailer
in New England,
is
approached
by
hundreds
of
organizations seeking
sponsorships
and
support.
“
The vast majority of them are worthwhile organizations,
but it isn’t until it becomes personal that you feel the urgency
to act. In this case, that’s exactly what happened,” said
Ocean State Job Lot Marketing Director David Sarlitto, who
handles such requests for his company.
Ocean State Job Lot became aware of pancreatic
cancer when the company’s partners learned about a close
associate who had recently lost his wife to the disease. “As
soon as people heard the words pancreatic cancer, their jaws
dropped. They felt they could offer no words of consolation or
hope,” Sarlitto said. “That’s when we knew this was a cause
that we needed to fundraise for and educate people about.”
Ocean State Job Lot President Marc Perlman was further
moved to act when he learned the sobering facts about the
disease.
Sarlitto was given the task of mobilizing a fundraising
campaign in just three days. On a Wednesday, the Job Lot
team held a brainstorming session and by Friday of the
same week, the group had organized a three-day fundraising
campaign complete with in-store posters, scripts at checkout
stands, a social media blitz and an online promotion that
reaches more than 100,000 consumers a day.
In just four days, 107 participating stores and an online
retailer had raised more than $54,600 in cause marketing
revenue and matching gifts for PurpleStride Rhode
Island 2012.
“
We deeply appreciate the tremendous support and
commitment Ocean State Job Lot and its customers have
shown for our organization and the fight against pancreatic
cancer,” said Donna DeDario, Senior Manager of Corporate
Relations for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. “Their
contributions are inspirational to us all.”
OCEAN STATE JOB LOT SUPPORT STEMS FROM
A PERSONAL CONNECTION
When the Omaha Affiliate hosted its inaugural PurpleStride
event on June 11, 2011, the group raised more than $47,000,
a noteworthy achievement for a first-time event. However,
in 2012, Omaha supporters took the event to the next level
by securing their largest corporate team participant to date:
Union Pacific, a company operating one of North America's
premier railroad franchises covering 23 states.
Allison Watson, the Omaha Affiliate’s Media
Representative, became involved with the Pancreatic Cancer
Action Network after losing her father to the disease. Her
passion and dedication for the cause helped to open the door
for potential sponsorship at Union Pacific, who generously
served as PurpleStride Omaha's Presenting Sponsor this
year. However, the company’s support did not stop there.
Union Pacific formed 25 teams that would eventually
participate in PurpleStride Omaha in 2012. By recruiting
team captains, organizing fundraising incentive challenges
and sending companywide emails, company supporters
launched a campaign to make pancreatic cancer front-page
news at Union Pacific.
“
Union Pacific’s support dramatically increased the
success of our event this year,” Watson said. “PurpleStride
Omaha’s grand total for 2012 is nearly $169,000. We could
not be more thrilled.”
PURPLESTRIDE OMAHA 2012 RIDES TO
UNPRECEDENTED SUCCESS WITH UNION PACIFIC
The Union Pacific Team at PurpleStride Omaha 2012