Don't Mess with Todd
Held on June 23rd, 2011, at SugarHouse Casino, Don’t Mess with Todd was the flagship event for Philadelphia Eagles lineman Todd Herremans’ personal efforts to raise awareness and funds for anti-bullying. Todd first became involved with anti-bullying after he appeared on ABC’s The View with several other Eagles teammates to support a Delaware Valley teenager who had been severely bullied by his peers. Meeting the victim, 13 year-old Nadin Khoury, was an eye-opening experience for Todd because it brought back memories of being both victim and bully during his childhood, and he decided to invest himself in the cause. Cashman & Associates aligned Todd with No Place for Hate®, an anti-bullying initiative of the Anti-Defamation League, which served as the beneficiary of Don’t Mess with Todd. In its first year, Don’t Mess with Todd raised over $4000 for No Place for Hate® to further their efforts in challenging bullying and bigotry in communities, schools, and college campuses.
The idea for Don’t Mess with Todd was first conceived when Coca-Cola, which has an exclusive pouring and marketing partnership with SugarHouse Casino, presented the casino with the opportunity to host an exciting, experiential event. Coca-Cola then hired Cashman & Associates as the Public Relations and Special Events agency for the event, which Cashman & Associates conceptualized and executed. With Coca-Cola as the presenting sponsor and SugarHouse Casino as the perfect venue, Cashman & Associates was able to make Don’t Mess with Todd a successful and enjoyable event. During the special night, guests mingled with various Philadelphia Eagles players, other NFL players, and local celebrities while savoring delicious hors d’oeuvres from Stephen STARR Events and drink specials from Coca-Cola, Bacardi, and Miller Lite. At the end of the night, a raffle was held with prizes including a signed Todd Herremans jersey, a vintage Eagles track jacket from Mitchell & Ness, and a $500 gift card to Denim Habit.
In creating a concept for Don’t Mess with Todd, Cashman & Associates utilized pre-existing client relationships to further enhance the event. For example, Cashman & Associates brought longtime clients Stephen STARR Events and STARR Restaurants into the mix to cater Don’t Mess with Todd. Consequently, SugarHouse Casino has now built a relationship with Stephen STARR Events in the hopes of raising the profile of their future in-house events. Cashman & Associates also leveraged its clients and relationships to garner premium-level items for the event’s raffle. As a result, Mitchell & Ness, Denim Habit, and Philadelphia STYLE Magazine are now linked to Don’t Mess with Todd and will hopefully continue to support the event in the future.
Additionally, Cashman & Associates designed and executed a celebrity-filled step-and-repeat during Don’t Mess with Todd in which media were invited to photograph and interview the attending stars. These special guests included former Eagles quarterback and current Washington Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb and current Eagles players Jamaal Jackson, LeSean McCoy, Jeremy Maclin, Trevor Laws, Jamar Chaney, Omar Gaither, Jon Dorenbos, and Kurt Coleman. Also in attendance were local Philadelphia VIPs, such as 97.5 The Fanatic’s Mike Missanelli and Jon Marks, Philadelphia STYLE Magazine publisher John Colabelli, WMMR host and former Miss FHM Lauren Harris, Miss Pennsylvania 2011 Amber-Joi Watkins, 6ABC’s Jeff Skversky, and Coca-Cola’s Pam O’Leary.
In terms of Public Relation, Cashman & Associates’ main role was to promote and publicize Don’t Mess with Todd leading up to and continuing after the event on June 23rd. Cashman & Associates secured media hits in nearly forty outlets, including event listings, write-ups, and interviews. Information about the event was posted on several popular websites, such as Philly2night.com, Yardbarker.com, Footballnewsnow.com, Philly.com, CBS3.com, and Myfoxphilly.com, among others. Todd Herremans also gave interviews with Jen Frederick on FOX 29, the Preston and Steve Show on 93.3 WMMR, and the 97.5 BEN-FM 9:30 AM Morning Show. Finally, Don’t Mess with Todd was featured in a three-column editorial in Philadelphia Daily News on June 21st, 2011. Also, Cashman & Associates sent out an e-blast with information about Don’t Mess with Todd that reached over 5000 email addresses, ensuring exposure and publicity for the event.
After the event, Cashman & Associates secured a large amount of media coverage for Don’t Mess with Todd, guaranteeing that the event and its cause would be remembered by all. Media hits included top billing in Dan Gross’s popular gossip column in Philadelphia Daily News, video coverage on all of the major local Philadelphia news stations, and write-ups and event pictures in several well-known magazines and websites.
The Don’t Mess with Todd anti-bullying fundraiser, presented by Coca-Cola, was a success on many levels. First and foremost, the event raised over $4000 for No Place for Hate®. Second, Cashman & Associates secured a tremendous amount of press for Todd, No Place for Hate®, and SugarHouse Casino. Finally, several guests, including many of the Eagles and other local celebrities, experienced a great first time at SugarHouse Casino. Cashman & Associates is proud to be associated with Todd Herremans and No Place for Hate® and looks forward to continuing its involvement in the future.
