This Is Not Another Feel-Good Story.

It's a feel-awesome story. Gotcha! So, if you're in the mood to up your mood, read on...

I'm a Philly mom which means I'm tough. I'm strong —Yep, I can handle all sorts of crazy shizzle. In fact, you know that iconic illustration in the We Can Do It ad? You know... that confident woman flexing her arm, wearing a cute, yet functional scarf on her head, sleeves rolled, power face... Contrary to popular belief, it's not Rosie the Riveter. It's me. All me. 100% me. I'm going to have to call those Wikipedia people to set the record straight. Okay, I'm joking. "We Can Do It!" is actually an American World War II wartime poster produced by J. Howard Miller in 1943 for Westinghouse Electric as an inspirational image to boost female worker morale. Pretty great ad, right? Funny thing is we could use a little boost to female worker morale right now.

Here's the thing, if Rosie were to watch third-graders on a Google Meet check-in call with their virtual teacher, she would likely morph into the late "Iron Eyes" Cody (look it up.) Even as tough as I am, my heart aches for the kiddos who have been home since March 13th. And yes, schools here in Philly will remain closed for the duration of the year. Summer camp? Who knows? These 9 and 10-year-olds were looking a bit sluggish, dejected, and just plain bored. I had enough melancholy collective sighs. Enough of the awkward silence when Mrs. Schwenk asked "Now what did you do over the weekend?" I was done with silence before and after lessons on suffixes, fractions, and narrative writing techniques. Silence says a lot without saying anything at all.

When I put my mind to doing something - I'm an all-in kind of gal. I find ways to make things happen and it's a quality that I truly like about myself. Tenacity and resourcefulness do not run through the veins of all, but they are personality traits that my mom taught me as a child and have stuck with me.

So, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I had an idea inspired by the T-shirt worn by my son, Brody, in the hero image above. Philly is a hardcore sports town. We have the most passionate fans you've ever seen. The Red Cross rejects our blood as we really do bleed green. On May 2nd, I took matters into my own hands. I had a plan but I knew I couldn't do it alone. I crowdsourced a simple query on Facebook and hoped that someone would respond. One man answered the call and no, I didn't really "know" him. I never met him. Sure, we were connected, had enough common friends to assure that he wasn't an ax murderer and I just felt comfortable corresponding with him in Messenger. I did a quick creep on his background and realized that he owned his own PR company that focused on Philly Sports Teams. Whoa! Admittedly, the trust was there, so I didn't do a deep dive into his past career history at the time we originally connected.

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His name is Ike Richman and he's the founder of Ike Richman Communications. offering public relations, strategic planning, media training, press conferences, non-profit consulting, and crisis communications. Clients include Garth Books, Billy Joel, Springsteen, Van Halen, Pearl Jam, Earlier in his career, Ike spent nearly 29 years at Comcast Spectator as Vice President, Public Relations. He started out as a WIP SportsRadio producer. I have one word - Wow. What a guy. Okay, that's four. Basically, this man has been around the block - or shall we say around the stadium. Ike is a well-respected and experienced media, communications, and PR executive and has publicized countless live local, regional, national, and international sports, concerts, and entertainment events. As a publicist, he creates, implements, and executes events, press conferences, photo opportunities, and media tours for folks like Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, Disney on Ice, Harlem Globetrotters, Sesame Street, Live, WWE, (and more than 700 hundred concerts)! He also serves as an advisor to numerous non-profit organizations, including the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation, Police Athletic League, the Shirley Povich School of Sports Journalism, and Philabundance.

But...

Did he ever help a determined Philly mom organize what would turn out to be two epic, virtual Philly Sports Rallies via Google Meet-up with a potential audience of 100 third-graders and their respective families during a Pandemic complete with much-loved mascots? I think not—until now. Behind the scenes, Ike good-heartedly directed me by helping me reach out to decision-makers, most of whom I would not have access to - especially during these times when everyone is working virtually. He made the necessary e-troductions in lightening speed. He seemed genuinely happy to do it. His modesty and selfless acts were almost shocking. I kept thinking to myself - 'this guy is an angel.'

One by one, each Philly sports team signed on in the name of #NationalTeachersAppreciatonWeek and to help lift the spirits of local kids during these strange times. They didn't know it yet, but the third-graders at Albert M. Greenfield Elementary in Center City Philadelphia were about to be treated to special VIP guests in lieu of reviewing their social studies assignments on endangered species.

When it all gelled together, I thought about an inspirational poster I saw once which quoted English writer, John Bunyan: "You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you."

I quickly scrambled to put together a digital invitation and an FAQ sheet for all parents and get buy-in from the Principal. Then I elicited the help and support of my son's teacher with regard to making sure we had the right technology and security/privacy protocols in place. Next thing I knew, we had an enviable line-up! The Wings, The Sixers, and the Eagles on Friday, 5/8/20, and the Phillies and the Union on Monday, 5/12/20. We kept the specific guest appearances a secret so that the "big reveals" could happen in real-time during our rallies, adding to the anticipation and excitement. Gritty couldn't make it as he was doing a tour through the burbs but Principal Lazar unexpectedly dressed up as the orange creature for fun and the kids freaked. I told Ike about our success and thanked him for his help.

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My overarching goal was to have something that the kids, the families, and the teachers could look forward to. During this epidemic, that sort of thing is missing from everyday life. Right?

Monday feels like Wednesday which feels like Saturday which feels like Tuesday. For months, our beloved M-F routines have disappeared and the proverbial hamster wheel has slowed. The rat race was put on cruise control and our worlds have been (for the most part) contained to our own four walls.

So were the virtual sports rallies a success? You bet! Faces lit up, smiles were everywhere as our first Virtual Philly Sports Rally commenced. It was so exciting! The second meet up was just as exciting. My son, Brody nearly passed out. Families were clad in proud jerseys, ball caps and balls of all sorts were bouncing off the walls and so were the kids. Everybody won.

The cool thing about this digital story of sorts is that it ended where it began. After putting the request out on Facebook, and taking Ike's lead, it became a case of be careful what you wish for. During these strange times, people everywhere crave stories such as this one. Digital communications in 2020 and beyond will be all about messaging and great storytelling rooted in helping others, adding value, and lifting others up. As humans, we need things to look forward to. This feel-awesome story started on one social platform and finished on another. Here's the post that @philaunionphang shared on Instagram featuring the Morris brothers.

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Through one of his encouraging text messages, Ike reminded me that the word TEAM is actually an acronym - "Together, Everyone Achieves More." And that is truly the big takeaway from this experiment.

On Ike's website, lauded Philly Ad Man, Marc Brownstein is quoted: "Call Ike, he'll make it happen." Boy was Marc right. That pretty much sums it up. It's not every day that Philly's mascots come together to celebrate teachers and to warm the hearts of families. I challenge you to find the Ike Richman within yourselves. Yes, really. (He's not going to be happy with me shining a spotlight on him and his good deed, as he is a fly-below-the-radar type of guy). Sit down and think about how you can brighten the day of someone else. A little effort and a clear vision can go a long way. Your plans do not need to include 8-foot fuzzy fictitious creatures, but rather a different warm and fuzzy. We really can find the strength within ourselves by elevating others. For me, that was producing smiles. It might be something different for you.

While the Zoom session silence of third graders can be sad, it's important to note that "In silence, there is power—The greatest of power." This too shall pass and I believe we'll all be better, more mindful people here in the City of Brotherly Love.

Edison was on to something when he said: "The value of an idea lies in the using of it." This is a time to put ideas into action. Now, who's with me?

We Can Do it!

Jami Slotnick