If you’re a regular visitor to FieldNotes you may have noticed a new look and feel! We got a lot of feedback from our readers and made some changes. We hope the new set up will help you find the information you’re looking for, and allow you to share UNICEF’s message easily and effectively.
Jenner Pascua is a Production Officer for UNICEF USA.
As a member of the UNICEF USA web team I’m always observing trends on the web, and thinking about how these new technologies can be applied to UNICEF’s mission of saving kids’ lives.
Well, it appears I’ve hit the jackpot in Austin, TX. South by Southwest (SXSW) is the epicenter for the future of interactive trends. Ever heard of Twitter? Debuted at SXSW in 2007. Foursquare? Debuted in 2009. SXSW is a place where the tech world discovers what’s next.
Jenner Pascua is a Production Officer for UNICEF USA.
You might think it’s a little early to start thinking about Halloween, but here at the U.S. Fund for UNICEF we’re gearing up for the 60th Anniversary of Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF.
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| © U.S. Fund for UNICEF/2010 |
| Our Marketing Coordinator, Lauren is ready to join the Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF online community. |
Over the next few weeks we’ll be sharing news and special promotions celebrating 60 years of kids helping kids! If you like what you see, share with your friends. If you have suggestions, let us know. We want to hear from YOU!
Here are a few ways you can join in on the discussion online:
Get involved anyway you can, every little bit helps. It may not seem like a big deal every time you ‘like’ or ‘retweet’ a post, but in reality you’re helping spread the word and participating in a discussion that helps save children’s lives. So we hope you’ll join us and help celebrate 60 years of Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF!
The 1971 concert pioneered the all-star rock benefit concert model, which has since been widely emulated for various causes worldwide. The benefit raised over $15 million to support UNICEF programs providing lifesaving assistance to children caught in humanitarian emergencies.
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This Saturday, Argentina gets ready to face Germany in the FIFA World Cup quarterfinals. So we thought it would be appropriate that this week’s video is a PSA featuring Argentina national team member and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Lionel ‘Leo’ Messi.
“Football has given me a lot of joy and opportunities, and I feel grateful to UNICEF for this chance to give support to children,” he said. “I hope that in my role as a global Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, I will be able to support children who need our help.”
Messi also plays for FC Barcelona. In 2006, FC Barcelona and the FC Barcelona Foundation signed a global agreement with UNICEF. Since then, FC Barcelona has worn the UNICEF logo on its jerseys. And that’s a big deal, since FC Barcelona is one of the most popular football teams in the world. Those jerseys help raise awareness for UNICEF through the players and the fans.
We’re very grateful to have Messi on our side. UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors have helped improve the lives of children around the world by creating public awareness of children’s issues for more than half a century.
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Jenner Pascua is a Production Officer for UNICEF USA.
It’s been a little over a week since the end of the NBA’s 2009-2010 season. As a basketball fan I still can’t stop thinking about it. The league’s most storied rivalry between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics concluded another epic chapter. Both teams fought through a long 7 game series, and in the end, by the skin of their teeth, the Los Angeles Lakers emerged victorious.
You may be asking yourself: What exactly does this have to do with UNICEF and the world’s children? And if you’re a Celtic fan you may be mad at me for pouring salt on those fresh wounds.
It just so happens that BOTH the Lakers and the Celtics–not to mention the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association as well!–have ties to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, and we wanted to say thanks for all the help this year!
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| © UNICEF | |
| Pau Gasol, Ambassador for UNICEF Spain, plays a basketball match with students in a school in Luanda during a field visit to UNICEF activities in Angola. |
Recently, UNICEF Spain Goodwill Ambassador and Laker forward Pau Gasol asked Facebook to vote for UNICEF in the first ever NBA Cares Charity Challenge. Fans voted and helped UNICEF get $10,000!
Earlier this year, the U.S. Fund for UNICEF recognized the Boston Celtics with its Children’s Champion Award for their off-court efforts to raise money for children in Haiti affected by the January 12 earthquake. That single event raised $740,000!
And immediately following the earthquake in Haiti, NBA Cares and the NBPA showed phenomenal generosity and compassion when together they donated $1 million (!) to support UNICEF’s relief and recovery efforts.
The NBA finals showed that these teams have incredible heart on the court. Working with UNICEF this year showed that passion transcends the arenas. Although there can only be one champion each season, both teams are heroes. Thanks to their efforts, and the efforts of the NBA and NBPA, the children of the world win.
Again, a HUGE thank you to Pau, the Celtics, the NBA, and the NBPA for an amazing season, on and off the court!
Amazing really does happen at the NBA.
Last week NBA Cares enlisted four star players representing four charities of their choosing to make a video appeal inviting fans to vote for their favorite cause via Facebook.
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| Watch Pau’s thank you video on Facebook! |
We’re thrilled to announce that Pau Gasol & UNICEF has been selected as the winner in the National Basketball Association’s first-ever Charity Challenge!
As the winning charity, UNICEF will receive a $10,000 donation from NBA Cares. A huge thank you to Pau Gasol for supporting UNICEF, and even bigger thank you to all of you that voted!
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Jenner Pascua is a production officer for unicefusa.org
The NBA Cares Charity Challenge is a program where fans will be able to vote for one of the four player’s videos on the NBA’s Facebook fan page. The player that collects the most fan support will win $10,000 for their selected charity.
Growing up in Los Angeles, I’ve always been a Laker fan. So when I heard that Los Angeles Laker, Pau Gasol would be supporting UNICEF I was ecstatic! Two passions of mine, joining forces. Needless to say, I immediately voted and watched Pau’s video. I was amazed by Pau’s dedication to UNICEF’s mission. I can honestly say that I’m an even bigger fan of Gasol — which I thought was impossible after his performance last week in Game 6 against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
I know to some it’s just a game, but I’ve learned a lot from basketball. Like the idea of using teamwork to overcome challenges. The NBA Cares Charity Challenge is allowing players to do just that. Pau and UNICEF are teaming up to help overcome the challenge that no child should die from a preventable cause.
So whether you’re a fan of Pau, the Lakers or UNICEF, take a moment to vote and show your support. Encourage your friends and family to do the same! Voting ends on Sunday, May 9.
Go Lakers, go UNICEF!
Jenner Pascua is a production officer for unicefusa.org.
Later today we’ll be kicking-off our annual meeting taking place at the Union League Club in Chicago. The two-day event will include a keynote address by CNN Anchor Anderson Cooper, a tribute to the iconic Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF program which is in its 60th year, and a preview of CNN’s upcoming documentary about Haitian orphans reported by CNN Anchor and Special Correspondent Soledad O’Brien.
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| © UNICEF |
Tomorrow morning (May 5), from 9am to 1pm CT, we’ll be live-tweeting from the general session which will include panel discussions from UNICEF staff in the field, UNICEF partnerships, and a discussion on child protection and orphans in Haiti.
If you’re interested in any of these discussions make sure to follow our Twitter account @unicefusa and use the hashtag #unicefmtg to track all tweets related to the annual meeting.
You can also use sites like tweetchat and twubs to follow the meeting. Just copy and paste #unicefmtg, and it will do all the tracking for you.
Every year we’re getting closer to a day where zero children die from preventable causes. The annual meeting is a great opportunity to celebrate our progress, and learn about future challenges. We hope you can follow along on Twitter!
Jenner Pascua is a production officer for unicefusa.org
Over the weekend UNICEF welcomed a new Executive Director.
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| © U.S. Fund for UNICEF | |
| Anthony Lake playing with a child during a UNICEF field visit. |
For this week’s photo, we thought it would be a good opportunity to introduce the 6th UNICEF Executive Director, Anthony Lake.
Mr. Lake brings more than 45 years of public and international service to the position. As National Security Advisor (1993 – 1997) under President Bill Clinton, and as State Department Director of Policy Planning in the Carter administration (1977 – 1981), he managed the full range of foreign policy, national security, and humanitarian and development issues. In 2007-2008, he served as a senior foreign policy advisor to the presidential campaign of Barack Obama.
On top of the impressive résumé, Mr. Lake has long-standing ties to UNICEF. He served for nine years on the Board of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, including as Chair of the Board from 2004 to 2007. Under his chairmanship, the U.S. Fund saw a significant increase in funding and undertook a transition in personnel and mission.
Talk about the right person for the right job! We are confident that Mr. Lake will bring us closer to a day where zero children die from a preventable cause. We wish Mr. Lake the best of luck in his new position.
Thirty years ago, only one out of five children were immunized against killer diseases like measles and polio. Throughout the developing world, millions of children were dying of illnesses that had all but disappeared in the world’s wealthier countries. Since then, a near miracle has taken place. Now, four out of five children are protected by vaccines. Polio is on the verge of elimination. Measles and tetanus deaths have been reduced dramatically. This miracle did not happen by itself.
Read more© 2013 United States Fund for UNICEF. All rights reserved. 1.800.FOR.KIDS 125 Maiden Lane, New York, NY 10038
