Community, Connections, & Commerce Episode 3 with Annmarie O'Grady

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:16):
Welcome back, Community Connections and Commerce Part two with you Know.
After further discussion, we've decided that we're going to lock
the doors and keep En Mario Brady in here to
continue talking about a Special Wish Foundation in the Ohio
Valley chapter. We had an incredible conversation just a short
minute ago, and there's just so much more to get into.
I think first of all, we wanted to talk about
volunteers and what you you know, how that works for

(00:39):
you guys, and what that looks like being.

Speaker 2 (00:42):
A nonprofit organization, and I am the only employee. Volunteers
are essential to helping get things done, whether it's an
event or a Wish reveal. They I can't stress enough
how much volunteers mean to not only a Special Wish
but any local nonprofit and just being a volunteer opens

(01:06):
up so many doors for you. Wendy and I are
both members of the Saint Clariceal Rotary Club, and through
that club, we have the Interact Group, which is at
Saint Clairical High School, so it's for freshmen through seniors,
and this year coming out be the advisor for that
and I cannot stress enough how important it is for
young folks to learn the value of volunteering, of giving

(01:29):
back to your community and how it makes you feel good.
But also when you're in high school, it's essential. I
know in Ohio that is now part of your graduation
requirements is you're getting your local sales. That's what I
was thinking. If you want to go to college, any
application you fill out is going to ask about your
volunteer hours, what did you do, what was the biggest project,

(01:53):
and what it meant to you. Filling out financial aid
scholarship applications all ask about volunteering and if you fill out,
if you're going straight into the workforce, you may not
have experience, but if you volunteered, you can put that
down and that is experience. So not only giving back
to the community, but how it can benefit you as well.

(02:15):
Plus you never again, you never know who you're going
to meet, the connections, the networking and relationships. You never
know what one thing that you do will lead to
something else because of who you've met.

Speaker 1 (02:27):
The benefits for the volunteer, and then also how that
helps you guys and other nonprofits like that.

Speaker 2 (02:33):
Yes, absolutely, And we do an open house once or
twice a year for our volunteers they fill out the application,
we do have to check on them because sure you
need that background, yes, and we work with children, but
we want folks there that want to be there because
they have the passion for the organization. And that's with
anything you do with volunteering, whether it's a special wish,

(02:56):
unite away, y w C, a whatever nonprofit. It may
have passion for what they do and their purpose and
their mission because it'll mean more to you. Yeah, you'll
want to be there and you'll want to be helping exactly.

Speaker 3 (03:10):
And it also helps when you volunteer on a committee
because not only are you volunteering, now you're learning the
tools that it takes to have an event, how to
start it from scratch to the end, and you're learning
those valuable lessons, you know, so you're given back, but
you're also getting.

Speaker 2 (03:29):
All one hundred percent with every event that we do.
We especially which has four events a year, and three
of the four I have a committee that helps me
because I couldn't do this by myself. And those committees
are volunteer members of the community. There's some of our
board members, advisors, ory board members that they are volunteers

(03:52):
as well, and It's just they're so essential to make
anything happen and successful, because again I cannot do what
I do by myself, right, And I get it.

Speaker 1 (04:03):
Your sponsors as well, you guys have that help you out.

Speaker 2 (04:07):
They do. Every event that we have has sponsors. Because
our organization is one hundred percent funded through sponsorships, annual partnerships,
and events. We received no other funding. We don't have
a national organization that funds us for anything. It's every

(04:29):
chapters you raise your own money.

Speaker 1 (04:31):
Is that? How much of a challenge is that?

Speaker 2 (04:33):
It's extremely challenging, especially right now. When I took over
in twenty twenty one, that year was kind of easy
because so many businesses and individuals had money to spend
that they couldn't spend in twenty twenty because nothing was happening.
So twenty twenty one was a lot easier. But by now,
twenty twenty four is challenging. The expendable cash isn't there

(04:57):
for a lot of folks, more businesses, and you have
many local nonprofits probably all knocking on most of the
same doors, right right, So again that's tough for this
and the small businesses are extremely generous. I cannot aren't
they though, they really are the most generous they are.

(05:18):
They're the first ones to step up and how can
I help and get involved. They're the backbone of the community.
And most of us love nonprofits.

Speaker 3 (05:28):
Right, And not only do they sponsor, but they also volunteer. Yes,
so they do double roll yes, and which is so important, right.

Speaker 2 (05:36):
And if it's an event, they attend the events, which
is also you know, maybe you think, Okay, I can't sponsor,
I can't be an annual donor, but even just by
attending in one of our events, that is yeah, supporting
the organization and that's everything. It all comes together to
allow us to operate into ground wishes.

Speaker 3 (05:58):
So talking about your events, I know you have one
coming up in August, Yes, August seventh, Bling and Brew. Yes,
that is oh, I think this is probably the seventh
year for Bla and Brew and it's at Chaps Bar
and Grill. Kevin Jordan that owns Chaps is so generous
to us. He allows us to use.

Speaker 2 (06:17):
His back patio, he donates the the food like there'll
be heavy, heavy appetizers. He's just so good to us
and it's such a fun event. So that's coming up
August seventh, at Chaps and it's you know, for anybody
that wants to come out, get a ticket. It's a
cash bar, but we'll have lots of fun rafo items.

Speaker 1 (06:36):
It's a lot of fun.

Speaker 3 (06:37):
I've been there several years.

Speaker 2 (06:38):
And we always have a live auction. We have a
gentlemen that donates his time as a live auctioneer. He's
good auctioneering, He's fantastic. And so just saying like that
that Kevin Jordan donates to us, the auctioneer Jeff donates
his time. You know, if we had to pay for everything,
it would be tough because that cuts into any profit
we make to continue the mission granding, which is so

(07:01):
donations are of the utmost essential importance to any nonprofit, right.

Speaker 1 (07:06):
Well, the trade off also is that you know those businesses,
it's almost like they have a resume as well, and
it looks really good on there to say that they're
partnering with you guys because of the cause. Yeah, I
think I think that's that's important for those donations and
those sponsors and volunteers to continue. And I want to
know your thoughts on how you promote that as much

(07:29):
as possible and how you kind of get your voice
out there to say, hey, it would be extremely helpful
if we had, you know, more sponsors or volunteers.

Speaker 2 (07:37):
Right well. Being in local nonprofit, we really do not
have an advertising budget, so social media is extremely important.
We have a Facebook page, on Instagram, Twitter, getting it
out there that way, as well as through the Chambers
of Commerce. They do newsletters, they have events where you
can stand up and speak about it. I will come

(07:58):
to WWVA and talk to Sam and Otis and be
on their show, or just looking for every way to
get any way to get it out there. Sometimes donors
will sponsor you to be able to have a billboard
or get something on the radio, on television, teaming up
with the local radio stations TV stations, so you just

(08:20):
really have to look for every vehicle to use to
get the word out there. Lucky, you know, we're lucky
enough to have wonderful organizations that allow us to promote
things such as the Chambers. It's just you just have
to be creative and the newspaper. If you can get
a story in the newspaper, that's free.

Speaker 1 (08:40):
Well, that was kind of going to lead into my
next question. Was kind of before the world of social
media and digital advertising, you know you came on in
twenty sixteen, you said on.

Speaker 2 (08:49):
The board of directors. Yes, twenty twenty one is executive director.

Speaker 1 (08:53):
So I mean that was the kind of there was
a big digital presence then even but before that, like
back in ninety two when it started, I can't imagine
how the you know, because you're relying on i'd imagine
the newspapers and getting your word out there by being
read about.

Speaker 2 (09:08):
Oh, absolutely, And I think too that's when newspapers flourish more. Yeah,
you know, they didn't have online presence, right, So, yes,
being in the newspaper and even still I love it
when we're able to get an article in about either
an event or mostly the wishes. That really puts the
word out there, not only for donations and sponsors, but

(09:31):
also to educate the public that we're here. If they
have a child, God forbid, if it's their child, or
if they know of a child. It just gets the
word out that we are here, that the organization exists.

Speaker 1 (09:42):
Yeah, and I'm sure the digital aspect helps a ton
with that. Now that you have a much larger reagion,
it's easier and so, you know, just kind of the
generational thing you know that's a good aspect to what
the younger folks are are typically involved with.

Speaker 3 (09:59):
Well, that's why I was think in the newspaper, you're
going to hit one generation and then with social media
you're going to hit another generation. So you actually have blanketed, yes,
all generations.

Speaker 2 (10:10):
And that's when it comes to the social media and
all the digital content. That's when it is nice to
have a young student. I'm sure to come in that
can show me everything that I don't know, and that
I appreciate that so much, and like, just.

Speaker 3 (10:23):
There's so many things I don't know techniquely. You know, yes,
I can answer my phone and I can send a text,
but I just can't do a lot of the stuff.
It's just not that I can't do it, I just
don't understand it right.

Speaker 2 (10:38):
So with our website, our board Treasures, sent in Law
generously built us a professional website, donated all his time
putting it together. It's beautiful, but you have to know
how to code to do anything. Yeah, I don't know
how to code. So when my son was in school,
one of his close friends, who's extreme brilliant, taught himself

(11:01):
how to code. He changes and runs the website for me,
he's this freshman, oh now sophomore at high State, the
High State University. He's still the one that I'll send
him like here's when I changed, and he does that
for me.

Speaker 1 (11:14):
And you need somebody to run the social pages as well.

Speaker 2 (11:17):
I can see now why companies have one person dedicated
to social media. Yeah, it's a lot. It's a lot
to keep up with.

Speaker 1 (11:24):
And that's kind of like I'm involved in a different aspect.
That's kind of what I do for completely different reasons.
But but yeah, there's definitely a market out there for.

Speaker 2 (11:32):
That, absolutely. I mean, I can keep up with Facebook, right,
but then I feel like, oh, there's all those other
sure pages we belong to in different apps in this
that I'm like, oh, I have to do that too.
It's a lot. I can see why it's a full
time job.

Speaker 1 (11:45):
Yeah, and there's not just you know, it's anybody can
type up, you know, an announcement or some sort of
advertisement to get out there. But you know, does that
do as well as a pretty picture with lots of
colors exactly? So you know, that's where the graphic design
aspect comes in.

Speaker 2 (11:59):
One of my past and what's the old saying A
picture is worth a thousand dollars.

Speaker 1 (12:02):
Yes, yep, exactly so.

Speaker 2 (12:05):
Les.

Speaker 3 (12:06):
So when you have another event after the Bling and Brew,
which happens to be my favorite near and dear to
my heart, you want to talk about your lip sync?

Speaker 2 (12:19):
Sure, so we put on every year. This would be
year number six for the lip Sync Challenge. It's our
biggest event. It's our biggest fundraiser. It's held at the
Capitol Theater, which is a beautiful venue to have it in.
And they are fantastic to work with. I cannot say
enough good things about Kelly Tucker and her staff. They

(12:40):
are phenomenal to work with. But it's our biggest event.
We get between five and six community members, well known
community members, to compete, and they have to prepare two songs.
And when I say they get up there, they do
not just get up there with a microphone and move
their mouth. They are recreating music videos. They are on

(13:00):
a show. And this year promises be as exciting as
always because that's another thing we're voluntar volunteering. The time
contestant Wendy knows because Wendy was a contestant.

Speaker 3 (13:12):
And it took a lot, and I wish I I
just want to say you should bring back the losers,
but just that's for another show.

Speaker 2 (13:22):
But it took weeks.

Speaker 3 (13:25):
And weeks maybe months for me to get prepared to
do what I did. Not only do I volunteer, but
I had to ask people to volunteer to be on
my team and to help me. And but some of
the performances just were amazing, over the top. Yes, and
I think that's what the community wants to see, right right,

(13:48):
because it's entertaining.

Speaker 2 (13:49):
Yeah, and you never when they throw in even excuse me,
a surprise aspect, Like one year we had the high
school drum line coming down the aisles that nobody knew
was coming right. It was amazing, it is and they
the contestants, when they agreed to do this, I do
try to stress this is a lot. I'm asking a
lot of you for this organization. And they're fantastic because

(14:12):
they are giving so much of themselves and their time
all for the kids that we grant wishes too. So again,
even though it's an event, still that volunt the volunteerism
comes into play because as when he told you she
was a contestant, it's a lot of work. You have
to prepare two songs and you're going to do them both.

Speaker 3 (14:30):
And you have to lipsick it. Yes, and it's up
on stage and everybody can see you, and it's it's
a lot.

Speaker 1 (14:35):
What's the what's the capacity of that theater?

Speaker 2 (14:39):
Capacity? I think sold out would be twenty three hundred.

Speaker 1 (14:41):
I think, wow, yeah, do you what's the do you
guys get not reach that yet? Yeah? Close? Imagine you're
closest sounds.

Speaker 2 (14:47):
It's growing every year, growing for sure, growing for sure.

Speaker 1 (14:51):
Yeah, there's a There was a similar event almost logistically
exactly like the one you're talking in Cadis a few
months ago, and it you know it. It's a smaller auditorium,
but it almost packed it out and they did incredible numbers.
And I can only imagine how that helps you guys
for an even better cause. I think that's a great idea.

Speaker 2 (15:10):
Yeah, it's it's a lot of fun and it's actually
it's October nineteenth this year at the Capitol Theater. I
encourage anyone that has never been there to come. I
cannot tell you how many of my friends have brought
their husbands, dragged them there the first year because they
didn't know what to expect. After they came one time,
they're like, I never will miss this again, and some
of them actually are like I want to be a contestant.

(15:32):
So it's it's definitely something to see and probably nothing
that you would expect.

Speaker 3 (15:37):
My favorite, I got to say was Adam miser God.
That was amazing. It was you know, but it brought
people up off the seats, on their feet, on their feet,
and it was talk about your community coming together. I mean,
we were all together in what just cheering and yelling

(15:58):
and singing, and that's what brings other people back a
year after year after years. So Lyn wanting to do that.
If you ask someone to be involved, yeah, you know yes.

Speaker 2 (16:09):
And what's great is Jonathan Burkehart that owns one JB
Digital Media volunteers there's that word again, volunteers and donates
his time and records the show that the last two years,
this will be your number three And if you go
on our website you can watch the videos the performances
from twenty twenty two and twenty twenty three, which is

(16:32):
great to be able to go back and watch them.
And it's all because he donates his time, he and
his staff. That's amazing. It is it is it's again
these small businesses that step up and ask how can
I help? And I don't know where we would be
without them.

Speaker 3 (16:47):
Yeah, And that those words how can I help? Is
so important when you are in a nonprofit. Oh listen,
I know because we're nonprofit, so that how can I
help you? Is so important to be able to ask,
you know, your friends or the small businesses and have

(17:09):
an answer for them, Yes, Okay, you could do this,
You could do this, you could do this, and I
really would appreciate it, you know.

Speaker 2 (17:17):
So true. Yeah, because this has been a very big
year for a special wish. We just granted one wish
with Avery, who was able to take his trip, but
we have two more wishes that'll be completed in July,
two more by the end of the year. And then
we have about three other children that are not ready

(17:39):
to do a wish yet. They're not in the help
were there's still going through treatments and they're not there yet.
That'll probably happen next year. So we had eight children
with wishes in the works.

Speaker 1 (17:50):
Wow.

Speaker 2 (17:51):
And with our organization, you know what makes us a
little different. We grant wishes to children from birth up
to the age of twenty one in the country does that, right, Yes,
we're the only one, so we can serve a broader audience,
which is nice because we can grant more wishes and
our recipients have life threatening illnesses determined by their medical specialists.

(18:13):
I don't make the determination. My board of directors does not.
It's their medical specialists because they know, yeah, right, and
if they say they qualify, then it's we move forward
and get the process started. So it's been a big year,
a lot of wishes, lots of events, But okay, that's
why we do it.

Speaker 1 (18:33):
We do There you go kind of logistically, how do
you go about the process of granting a wish? Who
makes the first email or phone call? And where does
it go from there?

Speaker 2 (18:45):
I'm glad you asked that, because there's several different ways.
Sometimes previous wish families will refer a family that they
know because maybe it's you know, their child's going through
the same thing that their child did. A lot of
our wish moms are very vital with connecting us with
new Wish children because they have different support groups or

(19:06):
in different groups, they meet a lot of people. Getting
the word out there, you know, the more events we
do or the more wish reveals and it gets out
the more I get more feedback from local people that
you know of a child or Facebook. A lot of
families put a Facebook page together for their child when
they're ill, and you know, I see that. My board

(19:28):
sees it. And that's one way that we do find
wish children and that's where the process starts. If it's
if they come to me directly, then I just can
talk to them. If it's I see the Facebook page,
I see a flyer, there's a benefit for a child, right,
you know, you do digging why is there a benefit?
What's wrong? And I'll reach out to either a family

(19:51):
member or directly. I'll message that mom or dad to
see if they would be interested in talking to me
about hopefully granting their how to wish. That's so interesting.

Speaker 3 (20:04):
So how many what's the highest number that you've had
of wishes for per year.

Speaker 2 (20:11):
Since I've been director? Yeah, five a year. We did
five in one year. That's a lot. It is, it is,
And like I said, right now, we have eight. One
just completed his wish, so there's seven more that we're
working on, and probably about three of those will not
have to They won't happen until next year because the
children are just not in a place too. If they

(20:32):
want a trip, they're not there yet. I'm so excited.
We'll be doing an above ground swimming pool that we'll
be revealing next month. Another little ones, she's going on
her beach trip next month, and her wish was to
go to the ocean for the very first time, and
she did not care which ocean, as long as it's
the real ocean. And so she will be going to

(20:52):
North Carolina Carolina Beach in July, and I think she's
still a little skeptical if it's going to be the
real ocean going to try to send her to Lake Erie.

Speaker 3 (21:04):
So is there a wish that you couldn't grant? Was
there anything that you couldn't do.

Speaker 2 (21:13):
That we thought we could that you thought you could. Luckily, no,
not yet.

Speaker 3 (21:17):
That's amazing, I'll.

Speaker 2 (21:20):
Tell you so. My first year in twenty twenty one,
we had lydia with the reptarium and I kept calling
and calling, and whoever I answered the phone, the gatekeeper
would take my message and that's where it would stop.
To one point she said, I know who you are,
and I'm like, she is not getting my messages through.
So that's when I'm with the help of our Columbus chapter.

(21:41):
The new people at Columbus Zoo raculously knew him, and
he said, sure, give her my cell number, because I'm like,
I am not sending her there if she's not going
to meet him, if I have to drive to Michigan
myself and knock on that door until I get their attention,
because I'm like, that's what she wants, that's what we're
going to do. Oh, that's wonderful, that's wonderful. But no,

(22:04):
we've been fortunate and Disney is again our number one
wish and those wishes are would I want to say,
they're the easiest wishes to put together logistically because of
the help of gets Kids the World Village that we
will that is where children from any of the wish
granting organizations can stay while they're at Disney, and that
place alone is a vacation that could be a wish.

(22:26):
I was lucky enough to get to see it last
for the first time last November, and I can't even
put into words how wonderful this place is that our
families get to stay.

Speaker 3 (22:36):
Okay, is it on a Disney property, No, it's about
twenty to thirty minutes from Disney and Kissing Me.

Speaker 2 (22:41):
And it's called Give Kids the World Village. It's eighty
nine anchors, eighty nine acres. Each family gets their own villa,
and that villa was better than my first apartment. I mean,
it's beautiful as it should be, and it's the wish
child and their siblings get a gift every single day,
every week. They celebrate Christmas in Halloween because sadly enough,

(23:02):
that child may not live to the next Christmas or
Halloween everything for them. But the village is free because
it's taken care of through the Wish Sponsorship. It's just
I think that's the most magical place on earth in
all honesty, and it's just fantastic. And like I said,
the child and their sibling get a gift, and that's

(23:24):
one thing that our organization puts so much emphasis in
is the siblings that live at home with the child
because their lives are dramatically turned upside down as well.
If you have a sick brother or sister, sure you
miss out on parent time, family time. Yeah. Yeah, So
everything that the wish child gets to do, so does
their brothers or sisters.

Speaker 1 (23:45):
Okay, that's great.

Speaker 2 (23:46):
That is great, and.

Speaker 1 (23:49):
That's a a call you've had to make several times.
You said that was kind of your number one. How
many roughly times have you had a child go down
to Florida?

Speaker 2 (24:01):
Oh? Probably a good dozen.

Speaker 1 (24:03):
And that makes it easier every time you do it.
It's kind of you know what you're doing.

Speaker 2 (24:07):
Right right, Like anything, the more you do it, the
better you get. That and planning the visits, but they
are our most requested wish. So it's again it's you know,
making the airline, flight arrangements, making the arrangements and reserving
the spasic give kids the world. But like with the
beach trips, it's it's like being a travel agent. Sure, absolutely,

(24:28):
doing everything start to finish.

Speaker 3 (24:30):
So if somebody wants to volunteer and or donate, how
do they do it? How do they get a hold
of you?

Speaker 2 (24:38):
There's several ways. You can email me, you can call
the office. You can get on our Facebook page or
website message.

Speaker 3 (24:46):
Me, which is what a special wish?

Speaker 2 (24:49):
Yes, so, our our website is a special wish Ohio
Valley dot orga and Facebook is a special wish hyphen
High Valley Chat.

Speaker 1 (25:00):
Sure.

Speaker 2 (25:01):
The office number is seven four zero four four nine
two zero six three and then my email is also
on the website or the Facebook page. You can email
me directly, okay, or stop in if I'm there. There
you go, And I have to tell you about our office.
So we are in the Respects Plaza in the old
building that used to be the Board of Elections at

(25:21):
one time. And this is in Saint Clair, so at
one time it was the skating rink. It's in between
Burger King and Dominoes. Our office space was donated to
us by the late John Goodman and his children Emily
and J carry that on and donate our office space
to us. So we are so blessed to have known

(25:41):
John and Emily and J and they're very involved with
the organization. But they that's amazing it is they allow
us to have a very nice office and a central location.
And jah, what a huge help that is not having
to rent a space.

Speaker 3 (25:58):
A sure sure.

Speaker 2 (26:01):
So again it's just the generosity of local community that
also allows us to do what we do.

Speaker 1 (26:07):
Well, is there anything else you'd like to add?

Speaker 2 (26:10):
Again? If you know of a child, please send them
our way. Thank you so much for letting me come
on here and talk about the organization. I love any
chance to make people wear that that we're here.

Speaker 1 (26:24):
Well, we talked about giving back to the youth earlier
and maybe a different context, but I think you're doing
an incredible job and that's maybe the most important job. Yeah,
I mean it's been incredibly insightful, just like the previous
part of it. Like we've said this before, but yeah,
super interesting talking to you. We really appreciate your time,
and we hope, we hope it was as interesting to
listen to it as it was to talk about it.

Speaker 2 (26:44):
I hope, because I love to talk about a special wish.

Speaker 1 (26:48):
Well, that's all from us for Enrio, Grady, Wendy Anderson.
I'm Drake Watson. Have a good day.

Speaker 3 (27:00):
Bout me tank, no bout me talk