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ANCOR National Advocacy Campaign

March 15, 2005

Re: ANCOR Phantom Phundraiser

Dear ANCOR Member,

We have a wonderful opportunity to raise public awareness about the ANCOR National Advocacy Campaign (NAC) and raise additional funds to support this critical effort by hosting a phantom premiere movie screening to be co-sponsored by ANCOR and its member agencies. The movie? Hallmark Hall of Fame made for TV movie Riding the Bus with My Sister, starring Rosie O’Donnell and Andie McDowell.

What is a phantom event? It’s a novel fundraiser with a theme. Simply put, ANCOR’s Phantom Theater doesn’t exist, but the movie will air on CBS-TV, May 1. The need for funding to continue a public awareness program to champion Direct Support Professionals is critical and the request for support is real.

How is this event co-sponsored? Attached you will find a special invitation package complete with phantom ticket purchase options (suggested donations) for this unique ANCOR Phantom Theater Phundraising event. These are ready-to-print and distribute. Donations collected should be shared equally between the ANCOR Foundation and participating member agencies. Checks should be made payable to member agencies. Online credit card donations made through www.supportnac.org will benefit the ANCOR Foundation and are tax deductible.

A “Make a Difference” wristband will be sent to each donor. Donors are urged to visit http://www.supportnac.org to order additional wristbands, sign a petition to their governor, and learn more about the NAC.

Here’s the Who, What, When, Where, Why and How!

WHAT	ANCOR’s Phantom Theater Presents Hallmark Hall of Fame’s Riding the Bus with My Sister
WHEN	Sunday, May 1, CBS-TV (Check local listings for time)
WHO	Rosie O'Donnell and Andie MacDowell star in a movie inspired by the true story of Beth, a spirited, self-determined woman with mental retardation and her sister Rachel. When Beth enjoins Rachel to partake in her favorite pastime and ride buses with her for months at a time, their travels solidify their bond and change Rachel’s life. (The screenplay was adapted from the book Riding the Bus with My Sister, by Rachel Simon.)
WHERE	Reserve seats in your home, in your favorite chair or couch, before your TV.
WHY	Direct Support Professionals (DSP) Olivia, Amber and Vera are Beth’s lifeline to her community. Like Beth, people with disabilities cannot lead productive, meaningful and personally satisfying lives in their communities without well-trained DSPs. ANCOR’s NAC is committed to changing public policy to build a strong, stable qualified direct support workforce to assure continued community inclusion.
HOW	In anticipation of this made for TV movie, the ANCOR PR Directors Council put together a list of materials for agencies to use for a phantom fundraiser. Subsequently, ANCOR produced them. Attached are the template materials (created with permission from author Rachel Simon and Hallmark) to jumpstart an ANCOR Phantom Theater Phundraiser co-sponsored by your agency and the NAC. Template ticket Template poster (Medium resolution pdf suitable for desktop printers. Contact cdunkelberger@ancor.org for high resolution pdf for professional print job.) HTML ticket for emailing Template media advisory Phantom Phundraiser tip sheet

Won’t You Get Involved? This movie presents a wonderful opportunity for the disability community to encourage viewership of a moving story of family member commitment and the friendships that arise from the self-determination movement. It demonstrates the end of isolation and the importance of community inclusion and full participation. It also affords ANCOR members an opportune time to bring attention to the ANCOR National Advocacy Campaign’s efforts to advance community inclusion, the important role direct support professionals (DSPs) play in making full participation possible, and to enjoin public support for improving DSP compensation.

Most sincerely,

Fred Romkema
President

Renee Pietrangelo, PhD
CEO

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