Volume X, No.6 | February 14, 2014
Former Chicago Bulls Star Bill Cartwright Visits SHC – Chicago
Bill Cartwright has six NBA Championship rings—five as a player with
the Chicago Bulls and one as a coach of the Bulls under Phil Jackson.
Standing 7’1”, he yet moves with grace—though not often on the
basketball court these days, he says. He is Chairman of the Board of
CartwrightDownes, Inc. of Des Plaines, IL, owner of an Audi dealership
in Brown Deer, WI, and runs the French restaurant Froggie’s in Highland, IL. And we’re pleased to report that his world includes SHC –
Chicago, where Bill joined us for a visit, interaction with patients, and
lunch one snowy day in February. It was so
snowy, in fact, that I emailed him at 6AM,
when I boarded the train for work, “Maybe
you’d like to make it another day,” I
suggested. “Let’s make it happen today,” he replied—and happen it did. We
arranged for 11-year-old OI patient Alec Cabacungan, a sports junkie if you ever
met one, and star basketball player on his middle school team, to join us for a little
pick-up basketball with Bill Cartwright. In the top photo, Alec is set for a drive to the
hoop while Bill gets in his famed NBA defensive position for the block. Then the
two squared off in a wheelchair game, as
you see, photo right. They maneuvered their
wheelchairs with energy and precision,
driving to the hoop. It became a playful
contest of dueling wheelchairs as Alec and
Bill tooled around the basket—playing a
draw. Bill was a great hit with the staff as well, who looked up to him in
awe—we seldom encounter one so tall. From the front desk to the
cafeteria, people came to greet him, most remembering his key role in
so many great games in the “Golden Age” of the Chicago Bulls. Before
he left, a few members of our staff gathered for a photo of Bill and Alec
(left). We’ve met one of the true gentlemen of the NBA—and we’re
delighted to have him as a friend.
(For a video of Alec on the basketball court of his middle school, see http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?
section=news/disability_issues&id=9398880)
SHC Puts a New Face on Advertising – Watch for It on Your TV
TV advertising is a great way to build an organization’s brand, but for SHC, it’s something even more—it’s a
way to raise money to support our important mission. It’s called Direct Response TV, or DRTV. SHC will now
be using this medium nationally to attract new donors. A combination of powerful visuals and compelling
patient stories will bring our mission to life and make an emotional connection with potential donors to
encourage them to go online or call a toll-free number to make monthly donations. SHC TV spots will appear in
all hospital markets—including Chicago—on nationally televised networks, which our donors are most likely to
watch. Look for us on networks such as Fox Family, Lifetime Movie, CNN Day, TV Land, and more.