FinalFinalPutUp by Christie Bradley

Christie Bradley Faith Palmer Jason Hermansdorfer Monica Afanador Sarah Giffard

Table of Contents Executive Summary

Introduction

Research and Analysis

Client Analysis

Situation Analysis

Public Analysis

Organization Analysis

Additional Research

Planning

Goals

Objectives

Strategy

Tactics

Crisis Plan

Media Kit

Press Releases

Fact Sheet

Pitch Letter

Media List

Radio News Release

Implementation

Bunny Sneak Peeks

Activities

Media Kit

Appendix

Appendix A: Research

Appendix B: Media

Executive Summary Our campaign group consists of five seniors majoring in public relations at Auburn University. Christie Bradley, Faith Palmer, Jason Hermansdorfer, Monica Afanador and Sarah Giffard make up our team. Together we will use skills learned throughout our time as public relations students in order to create a campaign that meets the objectives of our client. The client we are working with is the Auburn Parks and Recreation Department. They have asked us to help them publicize and organize their 30th Annual Auburn Parks and Recreation Easter Egg Hunt. Our goals for this campaign are to develop new activities for this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s Easter Egg Hunt, and to raise attendance among families in the Auburn community. After researching other Easter Egg Hunts and meeting with Alison Hall, community programs director for the City of Auburn Parks and Recreation Department, we feel we have come up with an efficient plan to achieve our goal. In order to raise awareness for this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s Easter Egg Hunt we have put together a campaign consisting of a media kit, social media pages, a website, a logo for the event and Bunny appearances. We are confident that these channels will effectively communicate our message to the local Auburn community. Our group has worked well together meeting every week to develop ideas for our campaign. We have put together a cohesive campaign, and we are proud to share our finished product with our client.

Introduction Auburn Parks and Recreation is a department of the city of Auburn, Ala. Its mission is to provide the Auburn community with quality cemeteries, recreational facilities and recreational activities. In order to fulfill its mission, the department coordinates seasonal events such as Auburn City Fest, Downtown Trick-or-Treat and the Easter Egg Hunt. It also maintains the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s many cemeteries and parks, organizes community sports leagues and programs a myriad of other community activities. The Auburn Parks and Recreation events, programs and sports leagues are well attended and the department has a strong relationship with the community. Despite its small budget, the Auburn Parks and Recreation Department serves the Auburn community zealously and effectively. Beyond simply organizing events, the department does a great job of promoting upcoming events. Because the community sports leagues involve so many local families, direct communication is a benefit for Auburn Parks and Recreation. In addition, the department posts banners around the city, uses local radio public service announcements and takes advantage of area publications to promote upcoming events. For the 30th Annual Easter Egg Hunt, the department partnered with our group in an attempt to raise participation among Auburn families. An important part of accomplishing this objective was deciding on the best channels to reach our target public. The department knows its public very well from past experiences. This was beneficial in deciding on where to target our media efforts. We chose to design an event logo, create a brochure and fliers, produce a promotional video, make a series of press

releases, construct an event website and open social media accounts for the event. The department also expressed a desire to do something new for this year‘s event. In order to accomplish this objective of our client, we created a campaign around the theme of ―Easter in Wonderland,‖ based around Alice in Wonderland. ―Easter in Wonderland‖ will give this year‘s hunt an exciting twist and a personality that the event has lacked in the past. This theme gave us a solid direction for designing the event logo, as well as a great concept for branding this year‘s Easter Egg Hunt.

Research and Analysis Client Analysis Situation Analysis Public Analysis Organizational Information Additional Research

Client Analysis Client: Auburn Parks and Recreation Department

Contact: Alison Hall- Director of Community Programs

Objectives: To increase local attendance at the 30th Annual Easter Egg Hunt among families in the Auburn area To develop new activities for this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s Easter Egg Hunt.

Client Communication: Alison Hall, director of community programs, is very flexible and said that updates every few weeks would work great for her. After meeting with Alison at Kiesel Park, she was able to show us the area we would be working with so we could better visualize our plan of action.

Client/Event History:

The city of Auburn started the Easter Egg Hunt 29 years ago. 18 years ago the department was granted Kiesel Park, a 122-acre park on Wire Road, to host the event. The Easter Egg Hunt was moved to this location to accommodate crowds. Each year the department hides more than 25,000 eggs for the event. The event is split into four different age categories. A band is brought to the event for additional entertainment. In the past the event has been sponsored by Wachovia Investments. However, because of the recent merger, Wells-Fargo will now be the main sponsor. At this point the department is unsure of how the Wells-Fargo sponsorship will compare to that of Wachovia. They have received support from the local branch, but the final say will come from the bank's corporate office. In the past Wachovia has staffed the event with their workers, provided balloons and soft drinks and paid for a band. The Kiwanis Club of Auburn has sold hot dogs and other items at the event vendors at the event as a fundraiser for needy families in the area.

Organizational Strengths: The Auburn Parks and Recreation Department has built a popular core of yearly events by being involved in the Auburn community. The events are well attended because the organization is in good standing with the Auburn community. This positive relationship makes their events an important part of the year for families from the Auburn area, as well as other surrounding areas.

Another strength of the Auburn Parks and Recreation Department is that they have a lot of opportunities to share messages with the community because the community is highly involved with the department‘s sports leagues. The department has positive relationships with the media around town. Many of the local media sources are happy to carry the department‘s messages to the community. The department has Meg Rainey, a public relations specialist on staff. Rainey, who is in charge of all the print media, press releases and radio spots, will help with the implementation of the media kit we have created as a part of our campaign.

Organizational Weaknesses: The Auburn Parks and Recreation Department is a visible and active organization in the Auburn community, but that isn‘t necessarily because they practice effective public relations techniques. Most of their success is due to the community‘s participation in the different sports leagues that take place during the year. Families are involved in the different leagues, making them a captive audience for the department‘s other messages. After our first meeting we learned that the Information Technology department is in charge of the Auburn Parks and Recreation Department‘s social media accounts. The IT department is very particular with how the department is represented, and therefore they manage their social media accounts in a safe manner. We believe our

campaign can encourage the IT department to get more involved with using social media in different creative ways. A problem with getting the Easter Egg Hunt into the press is that during the Easter season, the media is saturated with these types of stories. However, we believe including our Bunny in a series of popular local events will help us increase this event‘s visibility in the local media.

Opportunities: The Auburn Parks and Recreation Department is open and receptive to new ideas. They appreciate our youthful approach to the event, and are eager to partner with us in order to raise awareness among local families for this event. As a team we have a lot of opportunities to improve the Auburn Parks and Recreation Department‘s relationship with the families in the community. Fortunately for us, the department is already in good standing with the public we will be trying to reach. We anticipate that this established trust between our client and the primary public will help us reach our goals. The department expressed to us the importance of having new ideas for this year‘s Easter Egg Hunt. Here is a list of ideas we have for our client: 

Create a logo for the event in order to raise awareness, and to achieve a united image for the event.

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Create a Facebook page and use it for research instead of a marketing

tactic. In this way the IT department may allow us to take control of the department‘s social media. 

The ultimate prize for a boy/girl is winning the crown of Easter Prince and Princess.

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Incorporate a station with animals. (Petting area sponsored by…)

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Encourage the band to play music the kids can relate with. Ex: Bunny Hop

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Promote the Easter Egg Hunt by having the Bunny appear at several events BEFORE the Hunt. Ex: Making appearances at the trick or treat event, the Christmas parade, daddy/daughter date night etc. This will serve as a teaser for the event.

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Create an egg hunt or station only for children with disabilities.

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Because this is the event‘s 30th anniversary we could do a retro theme for the event. What were you doing 30 years ago?

Threats: 

The Auburn Parks and Recreation Easter Egg Hunt is a community event and more people outside the community are attending. The department has tried reaching out to a local church in order to spread the word, but the churches hold their own hunt that most families attend instead. Our job is to figure out how to bring more of the families within the community to their Easter Egg Hunt.

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The department has a low budget and is unable to spend a lot of money on advertising. As of now they use press releases, radio announcements, newspaper advertisements and a spread in a magazine.

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The department has difficulty finding workers for the event. The majority of college students are heading home to be with family and the people in town want time with family instead of volunteering to work.

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Historically, the Easter Egg Hunt has trouble starting on time due to unexpected circumstances.

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The Auburn Parks and Recreation City Fest is held a week after the Easter Egg Hunt so it‘s hard to find athletes who are willing to come two weeks in a row for autograph signing.

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Because the Easter Egg Hunt falls on the weekend before Auburn City Fest, the department‘s largest event, it makes it hard to find volunteers.

Situation Analysis Overview: The 2011 Egg Hunt will mark the 30th anniversary of this event. Auburn Parks and Recreation created this event to provide the town of Auburn with an activity surrounding Easter. The event is put on with help from The Kiwanis Club of Auburn and Wells Fargo. The ultimate aim of Auburn Parks and Recreation is to provide the Auburn community with quality cemeteries, recreational facilities and activities. In hosting the Easter Egg Hunt, Auburn Parks and Recreation is able to move closer to its goal. The Easter Egg Hunt is a popular event, and it serves to bring families together as well as unite the Auburn community. The people who are affected by this event are the residents of Auburn, the employees of Auburn Parks and Recreation, volunteers at the event and the organizations who have relationships with Auburn Parks and Recreation. These involved parties can affect the budget of the event and also the number of volunteers available to help with the event. Auburn Parks and recreationâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s organizational leaders have determined that this event poses a great opportunity to attract more local families. In addition, they would like to develop new ideas and activities to increase excitement around this event. The research available is mostly based on personal accounts of the event in years past. We also looked to other Easter Egg Hunts in order to learn what works well,

and what ideas might add to our client‘s event.

Internal Environment: The media outlets available for communication include radio, television, newspaper and magazines. Unfortunately social media is not an approved communication method for our team‘s campaign. Auburn Parks and Recreation‘s organizational leaders and staff are supportive and open-minded to new social media ideas, but the Information Technology (IT) department must approve it first. The IT department is currently in charge of the Auburn Parks and Recreation website and other social media accounts. New public relations tactics are encouraged and welcomed. As public relations professionals, we can provide publicity services to Auburn Parks and Recreation. We can also create new event activities to add variety to their event. The quality of the services that we provide can be determined by how many local people attend this year‘s event compared to attendance numbers from the previous year. We will be using the knowledge and skills acquired from various classroom and internship experiences to guide us. Because Auburn Parks and Recreation is responsible for so many activities and events, they requested that we focus our efforts on their Easter Egg Hunt. We can provide creative, public-relations services, however, due to the time frame of our class, we will not be able to personally implement this campaign in the spring. Because of this

constraint, we will create a comprehensive guide for Auburn Parks and Recreation to use in order to facilitate the public relations campaign we have created for them. The 30th Annual Auburn Parks and Recreation Easter Egg Hunt will be non-denominational, and it will stand apart from similar events because of a band performance, an event for disabled children and other activities in addition to the Easter Egg Hunt.

External Environment: One aspect of the external environment is that our event is associated with Easter, a holiday strictly celebrated by Christians. The strong religious affiliation of our event has the potential to incite anger and jealousy among members of other religions whose holidays are not recognized by the City of Auburn. At the other end of the spectrum, it is important to remember that some Christians may have a problem with the Easter Egg Hunt being under the banner of â&#x20AC;&#x2022;Easter In Wonderland.â&#x20AC;&#x2013; For this reason we included a press release for the Auburn Parks and Recreation Department to use in this specific circumstance. We also included a news story of this exact scenario that created a stir in a different town.

Competition: The external environment is extremely competitive. Not only do many Auburn churches host their own Easter Egg Hunt, but this event also competes against

all the hunts offered in the neighboring town of Opelika. The stiff competition is a large reason why the organization leaders of Auburn Parks and Recreation have asked us to develop new ideas for this year‘s event. Not only does Opelika‘s Parks and Recreation Department have access to a larger budget to supply more goods at the event, they also have social media on their side. Opelika Parks and Recreation has implemented Facebook and Twitter into their communication channels, along with the main website. The Opelika Parks and Recreation has the main event, ―Easter on the Square,‖ and also a pre-Easter Flashlight Egg Hunt on April 1, at 7:15 a.m. for 3rd-5th graders. The main Easter Egg Hunt is the same day as Auburn‘s Parks and Recreation hunt. They also overlap in time. Auburn‘s hunt goes from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and Opelika‘s activities start at 10 a.m. with the hunt at 11 a.m. The activities at the Opelika Easter Egg Hunt include arts and crafts for 2nd grade and under, pictures taken with the Easter Bunny, storytellers and food. The Easter parade starts at 10:45 a.m. The Easter Bunny, the Easter Egg, the Baby Egg and the Easter Chicken all make an appearance. Children are allowed to walk in the parade. The giant egg hunt starts at 11 a.m., and the kids search for 25,000 eggs. Although attendance has never been lacking, according to organizational leaders of the Auburn Parks and Recreation, the staff would like to see a larger presence of Auburn locals at the Egg Hunt. We are proposing that Auburn Parks and Recreation‘s Easter Egg Hunt offer Story Time with Alice, a special story time for children with disabilities. Other activities that will set Auburn‘s Easter Egg Hunt apart will be a live band, additional afternoon activities and Breakfast with the Bunny

Public Analysis Families within the Auburn community are the primary target for the Auburn Parks and Recreation Easter Egg Hunt. The Easter Egg Hunt has a positive image within the Auburn community as well as abroad. This is the largest Easter Egg Hunt in Auburn with more than 25,000 eggs hidden over a four-acre area. Due to large public participation, in 1993 the hunt site moved from Duck Samford Park to Kiesel Park, where it is currently held. Most would consider an Easter Egg Hunt a religious event due to Easter being a Christian holiday. Taking that into consideration, the Auburn Parks and Recreation Program has done their best to make all families feel welcome regardless of religious affiliation and background. The event is centered on music, food and activities to promote family fun. Though the hunt has been a growing success it needs more local community participation. Ironically, more families outside of the community are attending the Easter Egg Hunt. Through observation, the Parks and Recreation Program believe that low community attendance is due to area churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s hosting Easter Egg Hunts. Another issue that has surfaced over the past few years is staffing. Due to City Fest being held the following weekend, Auburn Parks and Recreation is having a hard time gathering staff members. The majority of college students are heading home to be with their own family for Easter, and others donâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;t want to commit to two weekends of work. An incentive might be for professors at the University to give extra credit or service hours for students who are willing to work the event.

Due to large participation it‘s apparent that publics within and outside of the community are aware of the Auburn Easter Egg Hunt. Newspaper articles, press releases and radio scripts are only a few of the ways that the Parks and Recreation Department inform primary publics of the hunt. The areas that could use improvement are online social media sites. Both Facebook and Twitter are two of the primary networking sites that publics use to get information out. Both of these networking sites are unable to be run by the Parks and Recreation Department at this time. Until this problem is solved, it will be hard connecting with younger families and those who gather a lot of their news and information online. As a campaign group it‘s our job to bring more Auburn families to the Easter Egg Hunt. In order to accomplish this, we plan to incorporate activities for the disabled as well as new and improved activities for the families. With this being the Easter Egg Hunt‘s 30th Anniversary, our goal is to create positive change and implement a new theme. This year‘s theme will be Easter in Wonderland, from Alice in Wonderland, where Alice will be attending with the Bunny. To continue this concept and promote more organization, there will be stations named after prominent people and events from the storybook. For example, The Mad Hatters Corner could be for ages three and under and other stations would be named in a similar fashion regarding particular age groups. Another way of reaching out to Auburn families is hosting an Easter Egg Breakfast the morning of the event. This will promote quality time with the Bunny and allow photos with children and families.

With these changes in mind we hope more of the Auburn community will be in attendance and help promote this event that brings families together.

Organizational Information Kiesel Park is Auburnâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s largest and most historically recognized park, which covers 157 acres in northwest Auburn. The dog-friendly park is known for its nature trails, horticultural beauty and the historically preserved Nunn-Winston House. Kiesel Park is home to Auburnâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s Easter Egg Hunt and City Fest, an outdoor festival that draws a crowd of 35,000 people each year in April. Other parks include, Hickory Dickory Park, Town Creek Park and Duck Samford Park. There are about seven other parks in Auburn in addition to the above mentioned. The Auburn Parks and Recreation department offers 13 recreation programs which include arts and crafts, athletics, birthday parties, ceramics, clubs, dance, fitness, hobbies, martial arts, music, senior citizen programs, theatre, therapeutics and unique activities. Registration is required for all programs. The Auburn Parks and Recreation Department offers an elaborate soccer and softball complexes. The softball complex won 1999, 2001, 2005, 2006 and 2008 Alabama ASA Complex of the Year. There are also baseball parks and tennis centers. The Dean Road Recreation Center is the main location; however, there is Boykin Community Center, which is home to the Boys and Girls Club of Lee County. There is also the newly renovated Frank Brown Recreation Center, which is used for basketball, birthday parties, sports games and has two pools, one on Samford Ave. and one on Drake.

Additional Research Appendix A lists sources used to gather information about similar events. After researching these events, we now have a better understanding of what works and what fails with an event like this. In Appendix B are pictures we took from our trip to Kiesel Park. We took these pictures so we could have a better understanding of the park and what the event will look like. In Appendix C is a negative press release that we found to serve as a guide if religious protestors are against the new ideas that we have suggested. We have included a press release that explains what could possibly happen if a group of protesters with a religious affiliation gets offended by the name change of the Easter Egg Hunt to Easter in Wonderland. The example press release that we have included is about a citywide egg hunt that dropped the word Easter from the title of the event. We kept the word Easter in our title, so we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;t think this will happen, but if it were to happen, the most important thing is to keep open communication with the media and to keep them informed. The press release that we have included addresses an Alice in Wonderland themed egg hunt and the media really simplified the problem to what it wasâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a simple egg hunt that is fun for kids, not banishing religion from a holiday.

Planning Goals Objectives Strategy Tactics Crisis Management

Goals Client Goals: 

To draw more Auburn locals to the Easter Egg Hunt

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To incorporate new ideas in this year‘s Easter Egg Hunt Group Goals:

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To raise awareness for the Easter Egg Hunt among Auburn families

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To formulate a united image around the theme

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To provide new events and activities for the Easter Egg Hunt

In order to achieve these goals, we will incorporate creative activities for the event, use our design skills and coordinate effective communication channels to publicize the event properly. The goals listed above will guide us as we send our client‘s primary message to its primary public. We hope to convince Auburn families to attend this year‘s Easter Egg Hunt, by showing them that this year‘s event is intended to be a day of fun and music available to everyone regardless of age, ability or religious affiliation.

Objectives 

To distribute more than 2,500 flyers throughout the course of the Bunny‘s appearances at events put on by Auburn Parks and Recreation which include; 10th Annual Downtown Trick-or-Treat, Christmas Parade and Daddy Daughter Date Nights.

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To have more than 50 people in attendance at the Breakfast with the Bunny event.

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To have Auburn residents make up 80 percent of the total number of people in attendance.

Strategy 

To use press releases, a promotional video, brochures, a pitch letter, a media advisory, radio press releases, social media, a website and special events to raise awareness about the Easter Egg Hunt among Auburn Families.

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To formulate a united brand front for this year‘s Easter Egg Hunt by using consistent fonts, logos and characters to promote this year‘s event.

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To develop new activities for this year‘s event in concordance with the theme, Easter in Wonderland.

Tactics Through media releases and social media we hope to reach a larger audience than in previous years. Our media kit will consist of fact sheet, media list, video news release, brochure, pitch letter, multiple radio scripts and press releases. We also plan to create a website that will hold all media kit information online as well as a promotional video. We will use social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter to reach a large population and draw attention to the event. From October until the event, we will schedule multiple Bunny appearances at local events around Auburn. Appearances will serve as a teaser to ensure that families and locals will constantly be reminded about the event. We have also developed different activities such as a cakewalk, egg toss, spoon race, egg-egg-Bunny, Alice-says and a face painting station at the event. Eager families who want more quality time with the Bunny can sign up in advance to attend Breakfast with the Bunny. During the hunt, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;ve created an event for disabled children to attend called Story Time with Alice. These fun and original activities add to the event and will promote excitement among the Auburn community. Reaching a larger audience and drawing attention through our innovative publicity will help us bring more Auburn locals to the event.

Crisis Management Times of crisis are often defining moments for an organization. A crisis presents the organization with the opportunity to fail or succeed. The Auburn Parks and Recreation Department have executed a crisis plan for each event they host. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s vital for all persons to feel safe in their environment and to enjoy time with friends and family. Rain or shine, the Auburn Easter Egg Hunt is a non-denominational event that the Community looks forward to each year surrounding Easter. The 30th Annual Easter Egg Hunt will be held on Saturday April 23, 2011 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. If rain occurs, the event will be moved to Sunday April 24, 2011 at 2 p.m. on Easter day. Regarding any Parks and Recreation event, oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s safety is vital. Police will be in attendance throughout the event monitoring Kiesel Park. If someone gets lost during the hunt, the police and part-time employees would begin a search while someone stayed with the childâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s parents. There would be a known location for this type of situation so that everyone could report back to the same place. If a child has a severe injury during the hunt and a first-aid kit will not suffice, the Police will contact other assistance as needed. The Auburn Parks and Recreation events are well attended and the department has a strong relationship with the Auburn community. It has and always will be top priority to bring safety and enjoyment to all recreational events.

Media Kit Press Releases Fact Sheet Pitch Letter Media List Radio News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact Information: Alison Hall Director of Community Programs ahall@auburnalabama.org Phone (334) 501-2930 Fax (334) 501-2960 www.auburnalabama.org

October 26, 2010

THE EASTER BUNNY ATTENDS DOWNTOWN TRICK-OR-TREAT AUBURN, ALA. — Auburn Parks and Recreation‘s Annual Downtown Trick-or-Treat will be visited by a very out-of-season-guest this year— the Easter Bunny. The Bunny will hop around from table to table to help pass out candy and to sign autographs. He will be alongside the football, baseball and soccer teams and cheerleading squad. The Bunny will also hand out fliers for the 30th Annual Auburn Parks and Recreation Easter Egg Hunt on April 23, 2011, which will unveil a new special guest.

The hunt for 25,000 eggs will be for children ages 12 and under from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Activities such as face painting, Breakfast with Bunny, a cake walk, an egg toss, egg-eggBunny (formerly duck-duck-goose), Alice Says and Story Time with Alice will follow the egg hunt. The hunt and activities will take place on the fields of Kiesel Park and the NunnWinston house will be implemented this year for Story Time with Alice.

The Kiwanis Club will return to the event this year to sell pancakes at the Breakfast with the Bunny activity. The money raised will be used to help needy families in the community. Children will also find prize eggs stuffed with animals, Easter related toys, kites and more. The Nunn-Winston house will be included this year because of the wheelchair access in the -more-

30 back of the house. The winners of the two golden eggs will each receive a $25 savings bond, courtesy of Wells Fargo.

Alison Hall, the community programs director for the City of Auburn Parks and Recreation Department, heads the production of the event each year. ―The event always has a great turn out.‖ Hall said. ―There are always thousands of people that come out and we hope to see a lot of the Auburn locals this year. We are also very excited about Alice joining our Easter crew this year. It will truly be an ‗Easter in Wonderland,‘‖ she said.

The Auburn Parks and Recreation strive to provide the community with quality cemeteries, recreational facilities and recreational activities, while always giving back to the community.

For more information please visit auburnalabama.org/parks or auburneasteregghunt.com.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 2, 2010

Contact Information: Alison Hall Director of Community Programs ahall@auburnalabama.org Phone (334) 501-2930 Fax (334) 501-2960 www.auburnalabama.org

THE EASTER BUNNY JOINS THE CHRISTMAS PARADE AUBURN, ALA. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;The Auburn Christmas Parade will have a special guest this year â&#x20AC;&#x201C;the Easter Bunny. The parade will take place on Saturday December 10, 2010. The parade will take place on streets in downtown Auburn. The Bunny will ride in the back of an Auburn Parks and Recreation truck which will feature a sign with the event logo and will be decorated in holiday lights. The Bunny's helpers will hand out flyers to the people watching the parade.

-more-

32 The Nunn-Winston house will be included this year because of the wheelchair access in the back of the house. The winners of the two golden eggs will each receive a $25 savings bond, courtesy of Wells Fargo.

The Auburn Parks and Recreation strive to provide the community with quality cemeteries, recreational facilities and recreational activities, while always giving back to the community.

For more information please visit auburnalabama.org/parks or auburneasteregghunt.com.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact Information: Alison Hall Director of Community Programs ahall@auburnalabama.org Phone (334) 501-2930 Fax (334) 501-2960 www.auburnalabama.org

February 8, 2011

THE EASTER BUNNY DANCES AT DADDY DAUGHTER DATE NIGHT AUBURN, ALA. — Auburn Parks and Recreation‘s Annual Daddy Daughter Date Night will feature a special guest this year— the Easter Bunny. The Bunny will be dancing the night away with the dads and daughters to promote the 30 th Annual Auburn Parks and Recreation Easter Egg Hunt on April 23, 2011, which will unveil a new special guest.

34 Alison Hall, the community programs director for the City of Auburn Parks and Recreation Department, heads the production of the event each year. ―The event always has a great turn out.‖ Hall said. ―There are always thousands of people that come out and we hope to see a lot of the Auburn locals this year. We are also very excited about Alice joining our Easter crew this year. It will truly be an ‗Easter in Wonderland,‘‖ she said.

The Auburn Parks and Recreation strive to provide the community with quality cemeteries, recreational facilities and recreational activities, while always giving back to the community.

For more information please visit auburnalabama.org/parks or auburneasteregghunt.com.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact Information: Alison Hall Director of Community Programs ahall@auburnalabama.org Phone (334) 501-2930 Fax (334) 501-2960 www.auburnalabama.org

April 21, 2011

AUBURN PARKS AND RECREATION PRESENTS EASTER IN WONDERLAND AUBURN, ALA. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Auburn Parks and Recreationâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s 30th Annual Easter Egg Hunt will be cohosted by the Easter Bunny and special guest Alice from Wonderland. The hunt for 25,000 eggs will be for children ages 12 and under from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Activities such as face painting, Breakfast with Bunny, a cake walk, an egg toss, egg-egg-Bunny (formerly duckduck-goose), Alice Says and Story Time with Alice will follow the egg hunt. The hunt and activities will take place on the fields of Kiesel Park and the Nunn-Winston house will be implemented this year for Story Time with Alice.

Auburn locals have spotted the Bunny at many events around town throughout the year to build anticipation for the 30th Annual event. He attended Downtown Trick-or-Treat, the Christmas parade and Daddy Daughter Date Night.

36 Because of its wheelchair accessibility, the Nunn-Winston House will be accessible to children with disabilities during the hunt and for the Story Time with Alice. children who find the two golden eggs will each receive a $25 savings bond, courtesy of Wells Fargo.

Alison Hall, the community programs director for the City of Auburn Parks and Recreation Department, heads the production of the event each year. ―The event always has a great turn out,‖ said Hall. ―There are always thousands of people that come out, and we hope to see a lot of the Auburn locals this year. We are also very excited about Alice joining our Easter crew this year. It will truly be an ―Easter in Wonderland,‖ said Hall.

The Auburn Parks and Recreation Department strives to provide the community with quality cemeteries, recreational facilities and recreational activities, while always giving back to the community.

For more information please visit auburnalabama.org/parks or auburneasteregghunt.com.

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FACT SHEET



Contact Information: Alison Hall Director of Community Programs ahall@auburnalabama.org Phone (334) 501-2930 Fax (334) 501-2960 www.auburnalabama.org

The 30th Annual Easter Egg Hunt will be held on Saturday April 23, 2011 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Kiesel Park in Auburn.

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2011 marks the 28th year the event has been sponsored by Wachovia. Wells-Fargo who recently took over Wachovia, will take over the event and hand out soft drinks and balloons.

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The Kiwanis Club of greater Auburn joined forces with the hunt in 1994 years ago selling hotdogs and hamburgers as a fundraiser for needy families in the community. This year the Kiwanis will be selling pancakes for Breakfast with the Bunny.

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The egg hunt was held at Auburn High School and Duck Samford Park and was moved to Kiesel Park in 1993 to accommodate a growth in attendance.

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There are four age divisions for the Easter Egg Hunt: 3 and under, 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12 years old.

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25,000 eggs filled with candy, prizes and coupons. ◦ 25 prize eggs are hidden for each age category. Prize eggs included stuffed animals, Easter related toys, kites and much more. ◦ Two golden eggs will be hidden in the park. Each golden egg winner received a $25 savings bond and an Easter basket full of candy and prizes courtesy of Wells Fargo.

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105 eggs will contain coupons which can be used to participate in one of the following activities: ◦ Egg-egg-Bunny (formerly duck-duck-goose) ◦ Egg toss -more-

38 ◦ Alice Says ◦ Spoon Race 

Additional activities available for everyone include: ◦ Story Time with Alice ◦ Breakfast with the Bunny ◦ Cake Walk



Auburn Parks and Recreation Contact: Alison Hall, community programs director, 334-501-2940. The media contact for the department is: Meg Rainey, public relations specialist, 334-501-2936.

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Alison Hall Community Programs Director Auburn Parks and Recreation Department 307 South Dean Road Auburn, Ala. 36830

November 18, 2010 PITCH LETTER

Dear Ms. Hall, Thousands of graduates enter the work force each year with hopes that the education they have invested four years into will help place them into a fulfilling career of their choice. We believe our campaign will prove our readiness and confidence to enter the workforce. Our goal is to provide you with a campaign full of innovative ideas, a planning and an implementation process, social media options and a media kit for the 2011 Easter Egg Hunt. Although social media has not been a part of your public relations strategy in the past, we believe that our inventive website and logo, along with creating a Twitter and Facebook page, will further participation in the Easter Egg Hunt from Auburn locals. With the new ―techno-savvy-mom‖ generation, utilizing social media outlets is the only way to continue growing and producing new ideas. Everything is going technological, including new employees. Future graduates that will soon employ the world will implement new-age technology and prosperous businesses will adapt. The simplicity and easy implementation of our campaign will help mold the Auburn Parks and Recreation‘s future in social media and prove the positive impact that it can have on its success.

Sincerely, Christie Bradley, Sarah Giffard, Faith Palmer, Monica Afanador and Jason Hermansdorfer

MEDIA LIST Newspapers Auburn Opelika News Fax: (334) 749-6242 P.O. Box 2208, Opelika, AL 36803-2208. Please make sure to indicate which section of the paper you are submitting information to be published. The Corner News Carla Nelson- Editor cnelson@thecornernews.com (334) 821-7150 The Auburn Plainsman reporter@theplainsman.com news@theplainsman.com (334) 844-9109 The Auburn Villager editorial@auburnvillager.com Magazines East-Alabama Living (334)826-2929 Lee Magazine editor@lee-magazine.com Auburn Opelika Parents (334) 209-0552 Fax: (334) 826-7303 Opelika Lifestyle Magazine (334) 745-4861 Fax: (334) 749-4740 Radio Tiger Communications (Tiger 95.9- rock, Power 99.9-rock) Steve Ocean-Operations Manager steve@thetiger.fm (334) 887-9999 Fax: (334) 826-9599 Quantum of Auburn (Mix 96.7-Top Forty, Kicker 97.7-Country, The Bull 100.9-Country) Ben Taylor- Director of Sales ben.taylor@qantumofauburn.com (334)745-4656 Ext 304 Fax: (334)749-1520

-more-

41 MEDIA LIST CONTINUED TV WTVM 9 Columbus (ABC) Story Idea Line (706) 494-5458 Press Releases (706) 327-0197 newsrelease@wtvm.com WNCF 32 Montgomery (ABC) News Hotline (334) 270-2801 news@abc32.com WRBL 3 Columbus (CBS) Steve Korioth- News Director skorioth@wrbl.com Newsroom (706) 324-6397 WSFA 12 Montgomery (NBC) Matt Stanley- Today in Alabama Producer mstanley@wsfa.com Scott Duff- News Director sduff@wsfa.com News Tips news@wsfa.com (334) 613-8303 WLTZ 38 Columbus (NBC) News Tips (Alabama Bureau) (334) 321-4966 Community Calendar (706) 507-7159 miller@wltz.com

Auburn Parks and Recreation Easter in Wonderland

Total Time: 0:30 AU Campaigns, Producer

ANNOUNCER: THIS YEAR‘S 30TH ANNUAL EASTER EGG HUNT AT KIESEL (KEESUL) PARK IS NEW AND IMPROVED. A SPECIAL GUEST WILL KICK OFF THE FESTIVITIES ON SATURDAY, APRIL 23, AT 10 A.M. FOR MORE INFORMATION REGARDING EASTER IN WONDERLAND AND HOW TO VOLUNTEER, CONTACT ALISON HALL OF AUBURN PARKS AND REC AT 334-501-2930.

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Auburn Parks and Recreation Easter Wonderland

Total Time: 0:60 AU Campaigns, Producer

ANNOUNCER: AUBURN PARKS AND REC IS BRINGING NEW MEANING TO THE TERM EASTER EGG HUNT. THIS YEAR‘S 30TH ANNUAL EGG HUNT AT KIESEL (KEESUL) PARK IS TURNING ALICE IN WONDERLAND INTO EASTER IN WONDERLAND. THERE WILL BE ACTIVITIES, SUCH AS STORY TIME WITH ALICE, Breakfast WITH THE Bunny AND OF COURSE 20,000 EGGS LOST IN WONDERLAND. FESTIVITIES KICK OFF ON SATURDAY, APRIL 23, AT 10 A.M. FOR MORE INFORMATION REGARDING EASTER IN WONDERLAND AND HOW TO VOLUNTEER, CONTACT ALISON HALL OF AUBURN PARKS AND REC AT 334-501-2930.

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Implementation Bunny Sneak Peaks Activities Press Releases and Radio

Bunny Sneak Peeks The Bunny will make appearances at three Auburn Parks and Recreation events prior to the Easter Egg Hunt on April 23, 2011. The appearances will serve a a guerilla marketing tool to raise awareness of the event. Three events which are put on by Auburn Parks and Recreation have been chosen as the primary venues for the Bunny's appearances. These events include the 10th Annual Downtown Trick-or-Treat on October 28, 2010; the Christmas Parade on December 4, 2010; and Daddy Daughter Date Nights on February 10-12, 2011. At each appearance the Bunny will be dressed in a different costume. These events have been chosen because they all draw large numbers of people in the area, attract diverse groups and are evenly spaced approximately two months apart from each other. Because Auburn Parks and Recreation is a participant in these events the Bunny will have fewer limitations on his appearance during the events. Downtown Trick-or-Treat: The 10th Annual Downtown Trick-Or-Treat took place on Thursday October 28, 2010, from 6-8 pm in Auburn. Parts of College and Magnolia Streets were closed down to allow families to trick-or-treat at the various downtown merchants. At the Downtown Trick-or-Treat the Bunny was dressed up as Aubie the tiger, the official mascot for Auburn University. The Bunny and his handler passed out 500 flyers to families attending the event. The appearance lasted from 6:30-7:15 in order to reach the maximum number of attendees.

46 Auburn Christmas Parade: The Auburn Christmas Parade will take place on Saturday December 10, 2010. The parade will take place on streets in downtown Auburn. The Bunny will ride in the back of an Auburn Parks and Recreation truck which will feature a sign with the event logo and will be decorated in holiday lights. The Bunny's helpers will hand out flyers to the people watching the parade. Daddy Daughter Date Night: The Daddy Daughter Date Night events will take place Thursday, February 10 from 5:30-8 p.m., Friday, February 11 and Saturday, February 12 from 6:30-9 p.m. The Bunny will make appearances each night during the dance portion of the event. He will be dressed in â&#x20AC;&#x2022;formalâ&#x20AC;&#x2013; attire and will interact with the fathers and daughters. In the goodie bags given out to each attendee will be a flyer promoting the Easter Egg hunt in April.

Activities The main activity is the Easter Egg Hunt, which Auburn Parks and Recreation has put on each year. We have decided to place coupons in 105 eggs *, and if a child finds an egg with a coupon. The coupons can be used to participate in Alice Says, Egg-Egg-Bunny, an egg toss and a spoon race. The coupons do not have to be bought, but are a simple way to organize the children into the activities. Children who do not find coupons in their eggs can participate in the other activities we have created with the exception of the cake walk, face painting, Breakfast with the Bunny and Story Time with Alice. Alice Says is our rendition or Simon Says. This will require 30 kids to line up in front of Alice and listen to her commands. She will need a microphone and a list of things the kids could do. If Alice does not say, ―Alice says‖ before her command and the kid completes her task, they are out of the game. The winner will receive an Easter egg basket provided by Auburn Parks and Recreation Egg-Egg-Bunny is our play on duck-duck-goose. Fifteen children will sit around in a circle while one taps the others on the head saying, ―egg.‖ Once the child taps someone on the head saying, ―Bunny,‖ the selected child chases the other around the circle until they sit in the empty spot. If the selected child touches the other before they reach the spot, the other child goes into the middle of the circle. The game continues until the next activity begins. *

Another option would be to put coupons in every egg or to simply open the activities

listed above to everyone. However in the interest of planing, we have designed this campaign using 105 coupons. My placing a limit on participation, Auburn Parks and Recreation will know the exact number of supplies they will need for each event.

48 The egg toss requires five teams of two children and five eggs. The teams stand equidistant to each other while tossing an egg. After each toss, the children back up. Once your egg breaks, your team is out. The winning team will receive an Easter basket provided by Auburn Parks and Recreation. The spoon race requires ten teams of 5 children, 50 spoons and 50 eggs. The spoons and eggs will be provided by Auburn Parks and Recreation and can be purchased at a local Walgreens, CVS, Kroger or Wal-Mart. The members of the team will take turn racing with eggs on their spoons, and the first team to cross the finish line without dropping an egg wins. The winning team will receive Easter baskets The two activities that do not require coupons are the cake walk and Breakfast with the Bunny. For the cake walk, Auburn Parks and Recreation will provide 15 cakes and one table. The kids must wait in line, and the first 15 children in line will get to play first. There will be 15 rounds and one cake per round. The cake walk is played like musical chairs. Numbers will be placed on the ground, and the children will start walking in a circle over the numbers while the music plays. Once the music stops the children stop. Then the Bunny will pull a number from a basket, and if your number is the number he pulls, you win a cake. Cakes will either need to be donated or purchased by Auburn Parks and Recreation. The face painting station requires a table and chair from Auburn Parks and Recreation as well as face paint and an artistic volunteer to paint the faces. Breakfast with the Bunny will be held the morning of event under pavilion at Kiesel Park. The Kiwanis Club of Auburn will sell pancakes as a fundraiser for needy families in the area. Auburn Parks and Recreation will need to provide some tables ans chairs, however families are encouraged to bring a blanket and eat picnic style. During the Breakfast the Bunny will be mingling and taking pictures with the families.

49 Story Time with Alice will take place in the Nunn-Winston house and will require Alice and a childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s book. This event will be open to everyone; however, disabled children will be admitted first.

Implementation of Media Kit Press Releases and Radio Broadcasts: In our campaign, we included four press releases, and a 30 and 60 second radio broadcast. The first press release was for the Downtown Trick-or-Treat in Auburn where Bunny made an appearance. The second was for the Christmas parade, and the third was for Daddy Daughter Date Night in February. These press releases were to explain the appearance of Bunny earlier in the year and to build excitement for the unveiling of a special guest at the event. The main press release is for the actual Easter Egg Hunt in April and explains all of the new activities that we came up with. We also wanted to inform the community that there is wheelchair access during â&#x20AC;&#x2022;story time with Aliceâ&#x20AC;&#x2013; at the NunnWinston House at Kiesel Park. The early press releases will be sent to the newspapers included to help promote participation. The 30 and 60 second broadcasts should be done just before the event in March and April. We have also included ideal local radio stations to contact due to location in relation to the Easter Egg Hunt.

Fact Sheet: We thought it would be useful to have a fact sheet on the Easter Egg Hunt for future reference and implementation of new events. The fact sheet presented to us from past Easter Egg Hunts was very helpful in seeing exactly what we wanted to do differently. Each activity, past and new, and all the details of the event are listed on the fact sheet. This could be used for social media purposes, when sending out press releases, making brochures and making fliers for the target audiences.

Pitch Letter: We created a pitch letter to specifically deliver our goals about attendance of the event and social media to the Director of Community Programs, Alison Hall. The Pitch letter states our perspectives on the growing influence of social media in society and the potential dying off of companies that do not adapt. In our opinion, social media is the future of communications between businesses and is a necessity to prosper.

Explanation of Video: With the worldwide popularity of YouTube, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s hard to deny that we live in the world of the short video. People just canâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;t resist watching a 30 second clip. Because our team was focused on developing the online reach of the event through creating a website, Facebook page and Twitter account, we knew that once we got people plugged into our resources we needed to have something that could deliver our message in an engaging manner. A short video was the obvious choice. We used students involved in Auburn athletics to help us present our message because we were targeting our message to the Auburn community, and Auburn esteems its athletes. If Auburn people believe that the athletes support the event, the community will follow suite. The video is short and engaging, and the message is clearly stated. We used the video as a complement to our online resources. A screenshot of the video can be found in Appendix B.1 Website: One of our main objectives for this campaign was to raise awareness for the

52 Easter Egg Hunt among families in the Auburn community. The fastest and most efficient way to spread messages is using the internet, and we knew that in order to get our message to the families in the Auburn area we needed to develop the online reach of the 30 th Annual Easter Egg Hunt. The website is designed to be the headquarters for our different online resources. Our different online resources include a Facebook page and Twitter account. These different resources serve to deliver messages and create buzz, but at the end of the day, we want them to forward people back to our website. We designed our website to engage the viewer aesthetically while still being simple to navigate. Because our primary target is mothers in the Auburn community, we focused both on the site‘s aesthetic appeal and the sites usability. It‘s important to remember than not everyone is computer savvy, and for this reason, our site‘s navigation is designed to be clear and user-friendly. In addition to helping us send messages, our cast of online resources will serve to give the event credibility. Most people don‘t understand how the internet works, and so they naturally give credibility to things they don‘t understand. For the common person, an organization or event with it‘s own website earns instant credibility. We want the 30 th Annual Easter Egg Hunt to seem like it‘s an important event, and the website helps us accomplish this. Screenshots of the Website can be found in Appendix B.2

Appendices Appendix A: Research A.1 Sources Consulted A.2 Photos of Kiesel Park A.3 Negative Press Release

Appendix B: Media B.1 Video Screenshot B.2 Brochure B.3 Graphics

Appendix A: Research A.1 Sources Consulted A.2 Photos of Kiesel Park A.3 Negative Press Release

A.1 Sources Consulted 

Park City Mountain Resort's annual Easter Egg Hunt

(Park City, Utah)

◦ Description: ▪ Food and drinks provided. Started at 9 a.m. There is a hunt with two golden eggs containing prizes. Still, some of the non-golden eggs contained prizes less valuable. Clues for the golden egg distributed throughout the resort. ▪ They use Facebook and Twitter to get the word out. There is an Easter Bunny that skis around the resort and visits with guests all day. ◦ Source: ▪ http://www.firsttracksonline.com/News/2010/4/2/Sundays-Annual-EasterEgg-Hunt-at-Park-City-Mountain-to-Include-Golden-Egg/

"Some sort of

prize can always catch the attention of the public. ◦ What can be learned: ▪ Maybe the puzzle pieces to the big prize could be hidden around Auburn the week of the event. ▪ Food and drinks can draw people in. ▪ The events are VERY important. ▪ This shows that social media is an important tool to communicating to the public what is going on. We need to make this happen." 

Eggstravaganzoo (Nashville, TN) ◦ Description: ▪ """Families from all over Middle Tennessee will be hopping over to Nashville

56 Zoo for a fun-filled day of egg hunting, games and animal exploration at the 12th annual Eggstravaganzoo. Music City‘s largest egg hunt takes place Saturday, April 3 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. More than 30,000 plastic eggs will be distributed on the Zoo‘s Festival Field for hunts held throughout the day."" ◦ Source ▪ http://www.zandavisitor.com/newsarticle-3108Visit_the_Nashville_Zoo_and_Collect_Their_Eggs_During_Eggstravaganzo o ◦ What can be learned: ▪ "Obviously Auburn does not have a zoo, but if we could come up with somewhere to host the event other than the park or bring animals to the park I think even church-goers would attend. We have to come up with something other than just an ""egg hunt"" to bring people in. I also like how they had a theme with each hunt. ex: ""Larger, golden eggs which can be redeemed for special prizes will be hidden throughout the Zoo for children to find. Various Zoo animals will be hunting for special ―eggs‖ hidden just for them within their habitats."" ▪ The breakfast idea is good. It's time with the Bunny for pictures without chaos. The fact that its the only time you can take pictures brings more people in to attend. ―Before the fun of Eggstravaganzoo, enjoy breakfast and a special visit from the guest of honor at Bunny Breakfast. Pancakes, eggs, sausage and more are on the menu, and the Easter Bunny will be hopping around posing for pictures. Choose from four times: 8 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 9 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. Breakfast is by reservation"" "

57 

The Brewer Easter Egg Hunt (Brewer, ME Outside an Auditorium) ◦ Description: ▪ "Visits with the Easter Bunny, who handed out coupons. ▪ Children who found golden eggs were given bicycles which were donated by the Kiwanis. Each child was allowed to pick up 14 eggs. ▪ For children 6-12 years old there was a flashlight egg hunt just like a regular egg hunt but with flashlights at night. ▪ There are three hunts held, one Friday night (flashlight hunt), Saturday morning and Sunday morning of Easter weekend. ▪ The event is put on by the Brewer Parks and Rec Department , the Brewer Kiwanis and the Brewer Burger King. ◦ Sources: ▪ http://www.bangordailynews.com/story/Greater-Bangor/Children-makequick-work-of-Brewer-egg-hunt,103593?print=1 ◦ What can be learned: ▪

Having a different kind of hunt for older children that would provide more of a challenge would be good. It would be hard to put a limit on the number of eggs a child could collect. Perhaps having pictures with the easter Bunny would be a good event before the hunt itself so that people who show up early will have something to do.



Eastminster Presbyterian's Egg Hunt (Indialantic, FL) ◦ Description: ▪ This is an egg hunt put on by a church . Activities include pot-luck lunch, cake

58 walk, and egg hunt. This event does a good job of getting people to stick around long after the hunt is over. I think the pot-luck lunch is the main attraction for families to bring blankets and have lunch. The church has a nice grass area that makes for a great venue for the hunt and lunch. ◦ Sources: ▪ personal experience ◦ What can be learned: ▪ The egg hunt is a bit unorganized and it sounds like the Parks and Rec. Dept.'s hunt is much better organized. The main thing to be learned is that it is possible to get families to stick around after the egg hunt, and a put-luck meal could prove to be a good idea. The downside to this is that the Kiwanis club would probably be upset about competing food options. Also, if people are traveling from far away it will be more difficult for them to bring a food item. 

Easter Fun in New Orleans (New Orleans, LA) ◦ Description: ▪ Dinosaur Egg Hunt at Audubon Zoo ▪ Different hunts for different age groups, the hunts were all called something different based on where i was at. They had rides. eggs were stuffed with candy toys and tickets for rides and prizes. Fairy Godmother did face painting. ◦ What can be learned: ▪ There are similarities with all of these hunts, but I think the ticket idea in the eggs is good. Maybe a cake from the cake walk, picture with the Bunny?

A.2 Photos of Kiesel Park

A.3 Negative Article Chocolate Bunny meltdown / Media hops all over Walnut Creek and its renamed egg hunt When the great Easter Bunny hullabaloo hit Walnut Creek, it took nearly everyone by surprise. Surely, city officials thought, this couldn't last. It would all blow over once people realized that they hadn't banned Easter, just renamed their annual kids' event a "Spring Egg Hunt" rather than an "Easter Egg Hunt." "Honestly," Walnut Creek spokesman Brad Rovanpera said this week, "with all the things in the world to worry about, people are coming unglued over this?" They are. And the reaction speaks less to the controversy about religion in the community -it's just a rabbit, after all -- than the media's inclination to play into the simmering anger and resentment among Americans who are convinced their rights and privileges are being taken away.

In this case, you could call it a "hare-trigger" reaction. Walnut Creek resident Michael Runzler wrote a letter to the editor complaining about "banning the Easter Bunny," and when it ran last week in the Contra Costa Times, the response was immediate. "I heard from two Fox TV news shows in New York, KGO (news radio), Channel 7 (the ABC affiliate) and The Chronicle," Rovanpera says. "I did most of the interviews, but I turned

61 down Fox in New York. They wanted me to go to a studio in Oakland on Sunday, and I never miss '60 Minutes.' " And who would have thought that would be just the start of it? This week, Runzler appeared on Fox News' "Hannity & Colmes" national news show, clips from which were then picked up by "The Colbert Report" on Comedy Central. Stephen Colbert, whose character is a humorous parody of conservative talk-show hosts, billed his segment "Easter Under Attack," and specifically mentioned Walnut Creek. Colbert added a tongue-in-cheek warning "to keep your eyes open and your marshmallow Peeps close to your chest." "That," says Runzler, "is when we knew we had a Bunny by the tail. When I sent a letter to the editor I never imagined it would get this kind of response." No kidding. In a way, the whole fuss is utterly predictable. Fox commentators struck a national nerve last year when they mounted a campaign against those who substituted "Season's Greetings" for "Merry Christmas." So the image of an Easter Bunny getting frog-marched out of town was perfect for stirring up emotions. There are, however, a few problems. For starters, Walnut Creek isn't banning Easter. They've just changed the name of their traditional egg hunt. Nor, despite Runzler's fears, are they removing the familiar fuzzy rabbit.

62 "We still have the Bunny," city spokesman Rovanpera says. "We just rebranded the event. We did it five years ago and until last week nobody even knew or cared." And by the way, about that Bunny. "I'm not going to defend the Easter Bunny or eggs," says the Rev. Kevin Murphy, whose St. Matthew Lutheran Church is one of the largest in Walnut Creek and is just a few blocks from the annual egg hunt. "In my congregation, Easter egg hunts don't have a blessed thing to do with Easter, which is about the resurrection of Jesus Christ. "And by the way," Murphy adds, "rabbits don't lay eggs." Details, details. Still, Walnut Creek city officials, who changed the name of the event to avoid spending public money for something that could be construed as religious, are thunderstruck to be suddenly cast as radicals with a runaway social agenda. "It is absolutely amazing," says Mayor Sue Rainey. "The thing is, it happened five years ago. This is ridiculous." And the sleepy, tree-lined East Bay suburb hardly deserves to be singled out for national attention. You'd be hard-pressed to find a city that hasn't renamed its Easter egg hunt. By Rovanpera's unofficial count, no fewer than eight towns surrounding Walnut Creek -from Brentwood to Danville -- host an event with some kind of egg-related name that does not mention Easter. In fact, Todd Trimble, who works with Rovanpera at the Heather Farms Park, where one of

63 the two egg hunts on April 7 will be held, says he used to work in Pleasanton, which "changed the name a good 10 years ago." Across the bay, San Mateo has staged its Eggstravaganza for years. Up in Marin, San Rafael has an Alice in Wonderland Spring Festival and not only suggests that you bring your own eggs, but that you hide them yourself, too. Not that any of that information stopped the protests. Runzler has created a Web site -defend www.theeasterBunny.com -- which he says got 1,300 views in the first day and a half. And Rovanpera is now getting angry letters. "When you start to destroy the common culture of a nation," one person wrote, "you begin to destroy the nation, little by little." Another woman called Rovanpera and told him she had planned to bring her 4-year-old niece to the egg hunt, but now was going to refuse to allow her to come, in protest. Rovanpera could only think of one thing to say. "How sad for the little girl," he replied. Oh yeah, kids and candy eggs. Wasn't that what this was supposed to be about in the first place? Bay Area egg hunts Here are some of the egg hunts scheduled in Bay Area cities before Easter, which falls on April 8: Walnut Creek: April 7, Spring Egg hunts for preschoolers through fifth-graders at 10:15 a.m., Heather Farm Park, 1750 Heather Drive, and Larkey Park, Buena Vista Avenue at First

64 Avenue. $5 per person. For more information, call (925) 943-5858 or go to ci.walnutcreek.ca.us. San Rafael: April 7, Alice in Wonderland Spring Festival from 2 to 4 p.m., Falkirk Cultural Center, 1408 Mission Ave. $5 per person; babies in arms free. For more information, call (415) 485-3327 go to cityofsanrafael.org. San Mateo: April 7, Eggstravaganza from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Central Park, El Camino Real and East Fifth Avenue. For more information, call (650) 522-7470 or go to cityofsanmateo.org. C.W. Nevius' column appears regularly. His blog, C.W.Nevius.blog, can be found at sfgate.com. E-mail him at cwnevius@sfchronicle.com.

Appendix B: Media B.1 Video Screenshot B.3 Brochure B.4 Graphics

B.1 Video Screenshot

Twitter

68 Facebook Group:

B.3 Brochure Page1:

Page 2

Page3

Page4

B.4 Graphics Logos:

The Bunny:

The Bunny in Costume:

Other Graphics: