MMI Public Relations Environmental Campaign Wins Communitas Award

Raleigh Public Relations Firm Honored With Award Recognizing Community Enrichment. End Quote

Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC (1888PressRelease) September 28, 2010 - Patty Briguglio, president of MMI Public Relations (http://www.mmipublicrelations.com), a Raleigh-based full-service public relations firm, has announced that the firm has received a 2010 Communitas Award in the category of Community Program Involvement. The firm won for its nomination titled "David vs. Goliath: MMI Environmental PR Campaign Takes On Global Toxic Polluter," a summary of the yearlong effort to fight for the protection of North Carolina's Yadkin River and its surrounding ecosystem from pollution at the hands of Alcoa, a multinational aluminum manufacturing corporation. MMI was recognized for the team's campaign on behalf of the Yadkin Riverkeeper in benefit of the local community it serves. The campaign for the Yadkin Riverkeeper is to date the most significant pro bono project in the history of MMI Public Relations, which dates back to 1994.

MMI's most noteworthy campaign success was enlisting the support of Erin Brockovich, the international environmental activist who was the subject of the Oscar-winning movie that shares her name, to join the Yadkin Riverkeeper and speak out against Alcoa. Brockovich spoke at an event held at Wake Forest University on June 29, 2010, addressing a crowd of more than 600 guests. The event with Erin Brockovich helped attract newfound support for the Yadkin Riverkeeper organization and brought a heightened national awareness of the important ongoing fight against Alcoa over the Yadkin River. MMI coordinated two highly successful press conferences for Brockovich's visit and handled pre-event media outreach through traditional media, blogs and podcasting, as well as an online Google Map tilted "Alcoa Worldwide Pollution" available for viewing at http://www.yadkinriverkeeper.org/alcoapollutionworldwide.

This is MMI's third award for 2010, previously winning the Videographer Award of Distinction and Communicator Award for its work in multimedia. MMI has won awards for Best Places to Work in the Triangle, the Pinnacle Award for Steady Growth and Profitability and numerous MarCom Awards for its work on local and national public relations campaigns. The company has earned more than 50 awards in the public relations arena as well as in the community.

QUOTES:
"We are honored to receive this award for our efforts in fighting to save the water rights to the Yadkin River," said Briguglio. "It is not easy fighting one of the biggest corporations in the world, especially when you know they have many more resources than you do. MMI knows that this is an important issue for our state, and that is why we are so committed to this cause."
NEW MEDIA CONTENT:
MMI Public Relations' Twitter account
http://www.twitter.com/MMIPR

MMI Public Relations' "Be Heard" blog
http://www.mmipublicrelations.com/blog

MMI Public Relations' YouTube channel
http://www.youtube.com/user/mmipublicrelations

DETAILS:
- Communitas Awards winners are recognized for specific programs involving volunteerism, philanthropy or ethical, sustainable business practices. Nominees are evaluated based on the extent and effectiveness of their program. The Communitas Awards is an outgrowth of the pro bono program of the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals, a several-thousand member group that honors creative achievement and fosters partnerships with charities and community organizations.

- Communitas Award winners range from nonprofit organizations to Fortune 500 companies in various industries.
- For more information regarding the Communitas Award, visit http://www.communitasawards.com.

- The Yadkin Riverkeeper's mission is to respect, protect and improve the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Basin through education, advocacy and action.

ABOUT MMI PUBLIC RELATIONS:
MMI Public Relations is a Raleigh-based, full-service PR firm that helps its clients start big conversations and make powerful connections. With a strong base in traditional public relations tactics, MMI has strategically evolved into a market leader in emerging PR tools such as social media, online video and podcasting. MMI works with firms and individuals in a wide spectrum of industries across the nation. Ranked among the state's top PR firms and in the top 10 percent nationally, MMI is the recipient of more than 50 awards in the public relations arena as well as in the community. For more information, call 919-233-6600, visit the MMI Public Relations website at http://www.mmipublicrelations.com or the MMI Public Relations Blog at http://www.mmipublicrelations.com/blog.

Kathleen Mongero
MMI Public Relations
(919) 233-6600
kathleen ( @ ) mmipublicrelations dot com
http://twitter.com/MMIPR
http://www.mmipublicrelations.com

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