The only thing Robert Mondavi loved more than a good bottle of wine with his meal were the friends gathered to enjoy them both with him. In keeping with that spirit of community, Woodbridge Wines is helping major metros across the country bloom through their partnership with the American Community Gardening Association and Partners + Napier. Throughout the summer, for every person who sends an "eSeed" message at www.woodbridgewines.com/garden , Woodbridge will donate $1 to ACGA to bring neighbors together to turn unused spaces into beautiful, bountiful ones. Supported by an online campaign, the program will provide educational seminars for community gardeners.
To learn about community gardens or to find one in your area, visit www.communitygarden.org/
Gordon Gray, Jr. loved baseball. He was a coach and board member for the Brighton, NY, girls' program for over 20 years. He believed in the power of positive coaching and in building confidence through the rigor and joy of sport. Hundreds of girls benefitted from his dedication, passion, and patience, including his three daughters. When Gordon passed, his family, including Partners + Napier member, Courtney Gray (center), created a charity in his name that not only honors his desire to do good, but also to have fun. Last year, they dedicated a new batting cage at the high school. This year, Gordon's friends and family meet to play softball and raise funds to support low-income Little Leaguers. Despite an inch and a half of rain, they raised a lot of money, and had a great time.
We can all use a little silliness in our lives. Kodak Feist-e-Mail, part of an integrated campaign for Kodak inkjet printers, lets you take out your everyday frustrations by sending goofy e-postcards, featuring retro "Kodak Moments" to your friends and family. Customize them or use our sample captions. They're a hoot. And since a Kodak All-in-One printer can save you an average of $110 on inkjet ink per year, you can even afford to print the wacky one Aunt Zelda sent you and hang it on the fridge. Get feisty here http://www.feistemail.com/ 
For one day, the children at John Walton Spencer School #16 in the city of Rochester all became business students. And nearly two dozen employees of Partners + Napier, in partnership with Junior Achievement, became teachers, helping students from kindergarten through 6th grade learn about entrepreneurship, commerce, and financial literacy. In one classroom, the kids designed their own sneakers, created a business plan, and marketed their products. Another class prepared resumes and did role-playing to learn about the people who make a business run.
The mission of Partners + Napier is to liberate the promise of brands everywhere they live. Says Sharon Napier, CEO, "The JA program is the perfect way to help us liberate the promise of the next generation of Rochester's citizens and leaders."
Saturday night, the Roc City Roller Derby, featuring our own Katie Woodson (#400 Bomb Voyage) and Tanya Harding (#777 Thea Pocalypse) lost in a close match against the Buffalo Alley Kats. Catch the highlights here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MX02uM25kfA. Proceeds from the match went to Sojourner House, a Rochester facility helping women and children in crisis transition to stable, productive, independent lives. Fans also donated diapers to the shelter.
The Roc Lady Killers' next big home match is July 4 at the Genesee Valley Ice Rink, supporting the Ontario-Yates Hospice and Roc City Skate Park. The battle of the summer takes place August 8 at the Dome Arena, with teams skating for the Heart Association and the Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester.
Get all the details here http://www.rocderby.com/ and look for Roc City Roller Derby on Facebook and MySpace.
It's hard enough for a rescue dog to find a forever home in metro Atlanta, but for dogs sheltered in rural Northwest Georgia, it's nearly impossible. That's why copywriter/videographer Dan Goldgeier began filming adoptable pooches for the Animal Rescue League in Calhoun. His shorts, which are viewable via YouTube and Petfinder.com, let potential owners see the temperament of the animal and learn first-hand from a shelter employee what kind of home would be a perfect fit. Since Dan's project began, adoption rates have skyrocketed. Watch the videos, and maybe meet your next furry friend here http://www.youtube.com/animalrescueNWGA Kodak is a tried-and-true partner for commercial printers, and this new campaign from Partners + Napier focuses on that valuable relationship.
Kodak's new ad campaign focuses on partnerships
Eastman Kodak Co.'s Graphic Communications Group is rolling out a new ad campaign this month called, "It's time for you AND Kodak."
The campaign, developed by Partners + Napier, Rochester, N.Y., includes print, online, direct mail and events.
Read the complete story and view more creative here
Visit the new GCG website http://graphics.kodak.com/US/en/default.htm?_requestid=4361
Sharon Napier writes about how to grow from a small agency to a mid-size agency without losing your culture. The article appeared in the 6/17/09 online edition of Advertising Age.
How to Avoid Agency Growing Pains
Lessons From a No-Longer-Small-Agency CEO
When I recently tried to enter our agency, Partners + Napier, in Ad Age's Small Agency Awards, I came to a realization: In just five years, our agency had tripled in size, outgrowing the "small" category. With $15 million in revenue and nearly 130 employees, we are still too small to be a big agency but too big to be a small one. Yet it feels like the right size for us.
Read Sharon's complete article here http://adage.com/agencynews/article?article_id=137390
Partners + Napier was well represented at the 6th annual Pittsford Triathlon. Creative group supervisor Ann McAllister and chief strategist John Roberts both joined the race, with John placing 73rd out of a field of 335. Ann placed in the top third of her age group.
"I love to compete," says Ann. "And this is a great opportunity to do it in a laid-back, fun way with my friends and other members of the community."
The event supports the Brian Moorman PUNT Foundation which gives area kids with cancer a chance to enjoy a Buffalo Bills game, with their family, in a private suite.
Bob Bailey, the president of our Rochester office, was selected this week to serve on the board of directors of the national Business Marketing Association. BMA is the preeminent service organization for business-to-business marketing professionals. Learn about BMA here http://www.marketing.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=1 