Feature Articles:

> The pride of nearly 1.5 million Moose men and women will, by the time you read this, have been shared with millions of others all across North America, via the pages of one of the world’s most popular magazines. In a late fall issue of People, reporter Lauren Comander will run a story on how Mooseheart Child City & School has made better futures for thousands of children since 1913.

The article, with photos shot in mid-September, highlighted the personal stories of four Mooseheart students--Taylor Krimm, Stephen Pinto, Jake Stegemen and Manssary Abdulahi (the latter young woman who came to us from Africa)--whose lives have been changed for the better, thanks to the generous support of Moose men and women throughout North America. Comander spent a full day at Mooseheart meeting students, visiting classrooms, meeting with caregivers and even attending a girls’ volleyball game.

The People magazine article is just one example of the media coverage that Moose International has secured this past year as part of the Discover the Heart of a Moose public-awareness campaign. In collaboration with Communication Strategies Group (CSG), a Chicago-based communications firm, Moose International has been contacting print, radio and television media outlets from coast-to-coast, and all over Illinois, as part of a Pilot Program to encourage media coverage of the valuable contributions Moose members make to their communities and to society as a whole.

National outreach efforts have also included developing a a video of Mooseheart children inviting Oprah Winfrey for a visit! While the Oprah show is still being pursued, numerous other media outlets have been touched by the Mooseheart story.


Photographer Mark Peterson, working on contract for People, spent most of two days at the Child City in early September shooting Mooseheart students at school, work, and play.




Media coverage of the Moose organization throughout Illinois, the Pilot Program state, reached more than 1 million people from Chicago to Springfield, and Quincy to Peoria. Articles featuring Mooseheart graduates have appeared in the Daily Herald, the third-largest (816,000 circ.) newspaper in the state; and the Beacon-News, the major daily from nearby Aurora. Star Newspapers, which cover Chicago’s south and southwest suburbs, featured 1999 Mooseheart graduate Anna Kelm in a June article. Additional articles on Moose Lodge/Chapter activities ran in the Peoria Journal-Star, the Nauvoo New Independent in Quincy, and the News-Palladium in Springfield. A summer visit by a local reporter resulted in an article about the many children who come to Mooseheart because their grandparents, serving in a guardianship capacity, felt Mooseheart would provide a solid education and nurturing home--where the grandparents could visit as often as they wish. That article appeared in multiple newspapers, including the Naperville Sun, Wheaton Sun, and the Beacon-News.

Additionally, two reporters from the Chicago Tribune, the state’s largest newspaper and one of the largest in the nation, visited Mooseheart to interview students, Family Teachers and administrators for an article expected to run later this fall.

Additional national media coverage includes an episode--set to air late January 2006--of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, featuring Huntington, NY Lodge 318. The show’s famous “Fab Five” hosts chose to do a complete makeover, both of the Huntington Moose Center interior and of a dozen prominent leaders of the Lodge! Queer Eye’s selection of the Moose was part of the Bravo cable network show’s commitment to feature nonprofit organizations and individuals committed to bettering our communities. The show’s storyline centers on a photo shoot for a promotional, “tongue-in-cheek” calendar featuring the makeovers of the 12 Moose gentlemen! The calendar will be featured on the show--and ultimately will be sold nationwide to raise funds for Mooseheart!

Moose International has decided to expand the pilot Program in 2006 to pursue additional national media coverage. Plans include targeting several additional states--including New York and Ohio--and working to establish corporate sponsorships and promotional tie-ins.

For additional informationon the Discover the Heart of a Moose public-awareness campaign, visit the Members Only portion of the Moose International website at www.mooseintl.org.

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