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One City One Cause is a campaign dedicated to rallying Seattle’s amazing energy and passion and using it for good. Beginning September 22nd, Seattle radio stations, TV stations, businesses, and citizens will join forces for ONE week to help the Puget Sound’s own World Vision in building a desperately needed hospital and health clinic in rural Zambia. Together we plan to raise $500,000 to finish the project that is currently under construction.
And make no mistake about the use of the term Seattle in this campaign, what they really meant was the greater northwest area, think of it in terms of when a band comes and plays in Auburn and they yell out “Hello Seattle” even though the Emerald City is a few zip codes away. Heck, even Katy Perry said “Hello Seattle” from the Tacoma Dome the other night ….so you get the point here. Now for a little more about the campaign.
This kind of “Flash Philanthropy” has never been tried before and Seattle is the perfect place to start! Seattle came together to help propel the Seahawks to the Super Bowl. Imagine what we can do when we join together to improve the quality of life for our friends in Zambia! A couple of the key players in this campaign are Bob Rivers who just left the radio airwaves after a legendary run on Seattle radio and Meeghan Black, longtime face and voice on northwest television. Meeghan tell us how she got involved, “I left KING TV after 20 years on television in Seattle to find some projects that really meant something to me, where I felt like I was giving back. When I was approached to help out with the One City One Cause campaign, I recognized right away it was something special. I’ve known Bob Rivers and the gang from The Bob Rivers Show for several years and always admired their work with World Vision, but I never had the time to get involved and now I do.”
More about the project: In rural southern Zambia the infant mortality rate is an astonishing 50 out of every 1,000 births. Mothers often deliver alongside the road as they walk miles to the nearest clinic while in labor. There is no running water and no electricity. If they arrive at night, like 28-year-old Felistus did, delivery is by candlelight. Imagine her fear when she unexpectedly delivered twins in the dark of night. Arik Korman of The Bob Rivers Show explains, “It’s incredible how difficult and dangerous it is for mothers in rural Zambia to have their babies. Imagine if you, your wife or your girlfriend had to walk 8 hours or more along dusty roads — while in labor — only to give birth in a closet sized room with no running water or electricity. We in Seattle have the power to change this.” Korman continues, “I got involved when Bob Rivers approached World Vision about projects that needed help (i.e. fundraising) to finish. When World Vision told us about the Moyo hospital and Hamaundu clinic projects, Bob and I jumped on board. Our agent, Paul Anderson, came up with the One City, One Cause, One Week concept and asked Meeghan Black to help.”
The Zambia Healthcare Project includes a new multi-building health clinic in Hamaundu and a hospital in neighboring Moyo. Both facilities offer boarding for near term mothers; beds for recovery after giving birth; staffing quarters to attract qualified personnel; updated medical equipment; and running water and solar powered electricity.
Black continues about the response so far: “The response to this idea of “Flash Philanthropy” has been incredible. Never before has one city united behind one cause for just one week. Seattle, with its awesome spirit – the 12’s, is the perfect place to try such a social experiment. Everyone I talk to about this gets so excited because we all recognize we have something special in the Puget Sound and we’d all love to do something good with that energy. One City One Cause harnesses that power and is using it to help make the world a better place. We are building a hospital and medical center in rural Zambia through World Vision. These are villages with no electricity, no running water and where women must walk 5-6 miles while in labor to deliver their child. The stories are unbelievable, yet they live them every day with a beauty and grace that is enviable. With just a simple $10 donation, every one of us can help improve the health and well-being of tens of thousands living is rural southern Zambia.”
Black, Rivers, Arik Korman and everyone else involved is hyper focused on media attention during this week long “Flash Philanthropy” campaign. Says Black, “We have dozens of radio and TV personalities and businesses behind this cause. It’s not a competition, it’s the community coming together for one common cause.
When we reach our goal two things will happen; the chiefs in the two villages in Zambia will paint the hospital and the medical center in Seahawks blue and green and wave a 12th Man flag! The spirit of the 12’s will live on for generations to come in Zambia! Plus, Bob Rivers will take the “Clam Bucket Challenge.” You know Bob and his parodies, well he’s agreed to dump a bucket of Ivar’s clams over his head in celebration of our success! You can all make it happen – that’s worth $10 bucks alone!”
“Take a moment to think of other people throughout the world you haven’t met who need your help. Here’s a chance to make a real difference and show your team and community spirit.” – Bob Rivers
Here’s how you can donate:
Text the word ONE to 20222 for a $10 donation. Or, log onto www.onecityonecause.com to donate.
TELL YOUR FRIENDS and use your social media influence to change the world! Visit the One City website and click the One City logo to drag and drop to your desktop and change your profile picture on Twitter and Facebook for ONE week. Use hashtag #1city1cause and don’t forget to follow @worldvisionUSA, @Meeghanblack, @ArikKorman, @BobRiversShow on Twitter.
Join us and make history!
Northwest Music Scene will also be keeping you up to date on campaign progress at @NW_Music_Scene on Twitter.
Meeghan Black at the new hospital in Moyo village from Jenny Lockwald on Vimeo.
