Richard Gere – The Salvation Army Civic Luncheon
Each year The Salvation Army in Syracuse, NY holds its Civic Celebration Luncheon to bring attention to the vital work it does throughout Onondaga County as well as commemorate the work of civic-minded individuals and organizations in the community. In 2016, The Salvation Army invited Richard Gere to come and speak, which wasn’t too long after his release of Time Out of Mind, where Gere portrays a homeless man named George where his friendship with a fellow client helps him try to repair his relationship with his estranged daughter.
Getting coverage for Richard Gere in Syracuse is not hard at all. Getting your message as an organization through, when it could easily be overshadowed by celebrity, proves to be much more difficult.
Despite the challenges, the crowd heard the message loud and clear:
“I’ve not seen a program any better than this one right here in Syracuse,” Gere said.
– syracuse.com
The Salvation Army spends little to none to market events like it’s Civic Celebration. Through a dedicated committee, community partnerships and sponsorships we were able to fill the OnCenter in Syracuse with people to hear the message of hope of The Salvation Army. As you can see from the photos above, the event was hard to miss.
Mr. Gere shared the stage with others receiving awards for their contributions to their community through The Salvation Army of Syracuse.
News Coverage
Once the information hit the Associated Press the story shot around the country and The Salvation Army of Syracuse, NY was on many people’s minds: