PNA Foundation, Oct. 16

Foundation Update: Pay It Forward to be a Convention highlight

By Lauren Lee, Director
Pennsylvania Newspaper Association Foundation
(717) 703-3002

It feels like the week before Christmas at PNA this week. Well, maybe not exactly. We’re not baking cookies and shopping at Toys 'R Us but we are getting ready for our Annual Convention in Pittsburgh. What does this mean? It means we are spending an extraordinary amount of time reviewing agendas, flow charts, audiovisual requests and making 100 percent sure that the nametag and newspaper name for every person attending are perfect. Between proofing plaques for the Newspaper of the Year contest and rosters for each board meeting, we’ve become pros.

This doesn’t have quite the same excitement and anticipation as the days leading up to Christmas but we are looking forward to two Convention events in particular. The first is the Foundation’s annual auction. Besides being held at the very cool and lively Heinz History Center, there are many fun activities on tap. We’ve exploited the "Changing Lanes" theme to the hilt. Guests will pick up their program guide and purchase raffle tickets at the "toll booth" and then take a "detour" into the cocktail hour. As they travel throughout the room, they can pull over at a "rest stop" to have their handwriting analyzed, get a caricature done, play some cards or indulge in a flight of wine. Who wouldn’t want to take a pit stop?

After drinks and dinner, guests can sit down to enjoy the ever-popular bantering and wit of our two auctioneers. I won’t reveal their costumes but I will let you know that I was downright disappointed to learn that there are very few fare collector uniforms around anymore due to the arrival of EZ Pass. As always, the selection of live auction items is superb and includes vacation homes, great tickets to sporting events, fine jewelry and other unique offerings. Equally enticing is the great selection of silent auction items such as darling handbags, funky jewelry and other affordable goodies. For latecomers, the rest stop opens back up following the live auction portion of the evening.

The fun doesn’t stop there, and I am not referring to John McCain’s potential appearance on Thursday. Although the thought of seeing McCain just days shy of the election is exciting, I am thrilled to have Catherine Ryan Hyde on tap. The author of the book Pay It Forward will make remarks during the luncheon on Thursday. During a conference call yesterday, Catherine shared with us her plan to talk about the vital connection between newspapers and community. As a young adult author, she also has some great insight into today’s youth.

After talking with Catherine, it is obvious that she is excited about coming to Convention and thanked us for including her in the schedule. On top of Catherine’s remarks, we are also debuting the Pay It Forward tribute video. The short video showcases the success stories of the papers that participated in the statewide initiative and will (hopefully) inspire others to participate next year.

I am sure we will all need a breather following our four days in Pittsburgh. This year, though, I am looking forward to it – and hope those of you planning to attend feel the same. Its not too late to register. For more information, please visit our Web site at www.pa-newspaper.org.

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