TeenAIDS couldn't do its job without the fantastic support of businesses that have given their donations in the form of in-kind services and products. Dr. John wants to personally thank the many devoted people and wonderful businesses that have helped strengthen our outreach programs. Teens everywhere "prosper" by these in-kind donations. Please check them out. If you use their services, thank them for helping Dr. John's TeenAIDS mission. Would you like to be a donor? Click here to donate.
We recognize these in-kind donors:
Newman Communications
WorldLingo
The Fay Club
Sofitel Hotels/Accor
Le Meridien Hotels
Movënpick Hotels
Fiesta Americana
Dynacolor Graphics
Danilo Black
Sapient Corporation
South End Photo Lab
InLingua Translations
MIT Media Lab
Fitchburg State College
Harvard's Carpenter Center
Mt. Wachusett Community College
Andrei Ivanov Russian Translation
Nyumbani Home for AIDS Orphans
Computers Down Under
Fitchburg Access Television
Boston Celtics
Newman Communications
http://www.newmancom.com/
Newman Communications, one of the top public relations firms in Boston MA, was founded in 1989 by Robert K. Newman, who along with a highly competent and talented group of former journalists and media executives, (now assuming roles as writers, account executives, media bookers, event planners and communications strategists), formed an agency that has truly become a leader in the industry. We spoke with David Ratner, the President and COO, and we were very pleased to hear that Newman Communications would like to help spread the word about World AIDS Day. They will be sending out press releases to over 3000 news organizations and we are proud to say that David Ratner and Newman Communications are going to be play a big part in the success of our World AIDS Day events.
WorldLingo
http://www.worldlingo.com/
WorldLingo, is a leading innovator and provider of translation and localization services and technology. I was thrilled when CEO Martin Pratt contacted us and said they would donate the translation services for free allowing TeenAIDS to reach millions more youth with our life saving information.
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The Fay Club
658 Main Street
Fitchburg, MA 01420-3191
Phone: 978-345-4537
Fax: 978-345-1426
The Fay Club in Fitchburg is proud to host the TeenAIDS-PeerCorps fundraiser and honored to take part in this Historic event.
The Fay Club is a one-hundred and twenty-five year old City Club, located on Main Street in Fitchburg. The Club, being the former Fay Mansion, was built in 1863 and is listed in the National Registry of Historic Buildings. For membership information please contact General Manager, Janelle McEachern, at (978) 345-4537.
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Sofitel Hotels/Accor
www.sofitel.com
I have stayed at a number of really fine Sofitel hotels, the luxury division of the well-known Accor chain from France. How I got started with the General Managers of Sofitels was as a result of my first visit to Vietnam in 1995. I went there on an AIDS assignment (through Dr. Jonathan Mann of Harvard's School of Public Health). In HoChiMinhCity (Saigon), I first met Marisa Furno, an Australian working for Swinburne University of Melbourne who assisted me with contacts in the expatriate community.
When I began my Global Walk in 1999, she talked to her American friends Heidi & Jim Dennis of Ohio, I believe, but then working in VN. They contacted Jacques Serpollier , GM of Hotel Sofitel Plaza Saigon. This new hotel gleams on the tree-shrouded street near the old U.S. Embassy. I always remember the remarkable friendliness of the staff, most of whom were new to this profession in an economy moving rapidly towards free enterprise. What I greatly appreciated was Jacques' assistance with ensuring that hospitality was provided PeerCorps teens visiting me for meetings. It was the first time these youth had seen such opulence. Heck, it's still a novel experience to me too.
From HCMC, I stayed at the Hotel Sofitel Metropole in Hanoi (GM: Richard Kaldor and Frank Lafourcade). The next one was Hotel Sofitel Palm Resort and Golf in Jahor, Malaysia where I was given a two-story room fit for royalty (GM: Frederic Flageat-Simon). I was so embarrassed by the extravagance of the two bathrooms, that I asked for a downgrade to a wonderful single room more my size. In Colombia, I stayed at the Hotel Sofitel Victoria Regia in Bogota (GM: Patrick Vaysse). In Thailand, I stayed at the Sofitel Central Hua-Hin (GM: Guy Poujolat, presently GM of Sofitel Silom and also Bernd Schneider). I stayed at the Hotel Sofitel Cambodian in Phnom Penh (GM: Christophe Claveau). In Lagos, Nigeria, I stayed at Sofitel Hotel Moorhouse Ikoyi (GM: Thierry Goepfert), a gem hidden in a crowded neighborhood. Other hotels that I stayed at are Sofitel Dalat Palace, I can't remember the name of the General Manager when I was a guest but he was a nice guy. (Present GM: Antoine Sirot), Sofitel Palm Resort Johor Bahru (GM: Michael Perdikaris),
I want to thank all these Sofitel GMs especially Guy Poujolat (he is presently GM at Sofitel Silom) and Jacques Serpollier for assisting me with securing complimentary rooms in elegant and friendly surroundings, Sofitel Hotels have their own special flair.
If you can afford luxury, then Sofitel is for you.
In addition to Sofitels, other Accor chain hotels that have hosted me are: Accra's Novotel City Centre in Ghana (GM: Philippe Beaudoin); at Mercure Lome Sarakawa in Togo (GM: Luc Lamorille) , and at Novotel Vientiane in Laos.
At many of these hotels, I was asked to conduct trainings of the staff arranged by the GMs and their human services departments who were concerned about the impact of AIDS on their young hotel employees.
Click here for photos of the Sofitel hotels
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Le Meridien Hotels
www.lemeridien.com
One of the world's leading hotel brands, Le Meridien offers a unique European experience with French flair throughout more than 120 luxury hotels in 52 countries. I knew of Le Meridien because they had a Boston hotel when I was planning my Global Walk in 1998. My friend Brigitte Blas (originally from France) worked at Le Meridien's Hotel in Boston. In Sales, Brigitte helped me by contacting other Meridien Hotels in Southeast Asia and arranging complimentary rooms during the critical start of my volunteer effort when money was tight. Once introduced, I stayed at about seven or eight Le Meridien hotels, always as a result of the request from one General Manager to another. All the accommodations were excellent.
It was somewhat mind-boggling for me to go from the tropical hut of a friendly family with very modest accommodations in some rural outpost -- to the elegance of a 5-star hotel room. Le Meridien hotels feature all the necessary business services I needed. After weeks in the boondocks, I was in real need to check in with home base via internet, phone and fax and do it over a great French desserts. While the rooms were gratis, I was responsible for paying for my own food and business services.
When I visited Indonesia, my first room was at the centrally located Le Meridien Jakarta (then GM: Jean Louis Ripoche; now Francis Zimmerman) with its beautiful rooms. Later I visited the island paradise of Bali and stayed at Le Meridien Nirwana Bali, a truly stupendous oceanside location (then GM: Gerard Hotelier; now Diebmar Kielnhofer). Afterwards, I was in Thailand and stayed at Le Meridien President (Le Royal; now Plaza Athenee in downtown Bangkok), a lovely oasis in a most heavily trafficked city (GM: Georges Beaurin). In northern Thailand in the city of Chiang Rai, I stayed at Le Meridien Baan Boran overlooking the famed Golden Triangle between Thailand, Myanmar (Burma) and Laos (then GM: Duncan Jamieson). In Phuket, my hotel was Le Meridien Phuket with a gorgeous secluded beach (then GM: Philippe Seigel; now Rudolf Borgesius). I was concerned about damage to their staff and hotel from the 2005 Tsunami but was told the personnel were all okay. Later, in Brazil, I stayed at the oceanfront Le Meridien Bahia in Salvador-Bahia with its spectacular view of the South Atlantic (then GM: Jean-Pierre Sorin). In Rio de Janeiro, I stayed at the imposing Le Meridien Copacabana, on the famous beach (GM: Philippe Seigel). I stayed one night in Amsterdam at the Park Hotel. The last hotel was Le Meridien Heathrow that is no longer part of the chain and was an hour outside of London (the room was not complimentary but discounted at the "missionary" rate because of my work).
I heartily recommend these hotels although I could never afford to stay with them on my non-existent income. I thank my lucky stars for Le Meridien's GMs' support. Tired feet appreciated their luxurious amenities and access through their business centers to home base in Boston. It's ironic that I paid more money for rooms in flea-ridden pensions in out of the way towns across the world than I ever paid for lodging with Le Meridien.
I've noticed that some of the above hotels are no longer part of Le Meridien. However, if you like attention to detail and true comfort, you will really like this superb hotel chain. Le Meridien hotels are now part of the Starwood Hotels & Resorts group, which includes the Westin, Sheraton, Four Points by Sheraton, St. Regis, The Luxury Collection and W Hotels brands.
Click here for photos of the Le Meridien hotels
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Movënpick Hotels
www.moevenpick-group.com/en/Group/
It was through my friendship with Gerard Hotelier, the GM of Bali's Le Meridien, that I discovered the wonderful Movënpick Hotel chain. From hotels in Thailand and Bali, Gerard moved on to Switzerland at Movënpick Hotel & Casino in Geneva (where I have not stayed - yet). Gerard was able to contact the Movënpick Hotel & Resort in Beirut. Lebanon, and they gave me a lovely room beside a steep cliff that fell dramatically to the harbor and the beach (GM: Michel Perret).
Movënpick is not well known in the United States but it is a very special hotel chain. You won't be disappointed.
Click here for photos of the Movënpick hotels
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Fiesta Americana
www.fiestaamericana.com
I didn't know anything about the Central American chain of FiestaAmericana hotels but it was recommended to me by an MIT friend living in Mexico City. She said it was centrally located and really nice. She was right. The GM is from Austria so we had a connection from the start. In addition to my own street outreach, Jorg arranged for me speak to Mexico City's oldest Rotary Club and that led to press interviews and other speaking engagements.
Click here for photos of the Fiesta Americana hotels
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Dynacolor Graphics of Miami, Florida
www.dynacolor.com
I have had a long business relationship with Don and Harry Duncanson, brothers who have owned Dynacolor ever since I owned Paté Poste art postcard publishing in Boston in the '80s (I started this art business out of my apartment to pay off my mounting student loans from MIT and Harvard. Instead, it rapidly grew into one of the Northeast's premier art card publishers). Dynacolor was a major reason for my success.
The Dynacolor quality of their color printing has always been tops and I did business with them until I headed back to Harvard to finish my doctorate. Our professional relationship was always excellent over six years and I'm proud that I have continuing friendships with all the Duncanson brothers including Bob who worked with me directly. As President, Don donated to TeenAIDS in 2002 the large color brochure that has been distributed globally.
Now, when we are in need of an updated brochure and postcards to promote our website to schools and universities, along comes Dynacolor to the rescue. In early 2006, I was thrilled to hear some excellent news from Don. He wrote that they are donating 10,000 postcards and a sizeable portion of our updated brochure. He wrote: "Good to see someone, like yourself, dedicating your life to making a better world. Wish there were more people like you out there."
Check out this high quality printer for postcards, brochures, posters, etc.
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Danilo Black Incorporated of New York City.
www.daniloblackusa.com
My old friend Roger Black (and sometimes political antagonist during our secondary school's current events club) runs this high quality design firm. He donated the original TeenAIDS brochure design in 2002 for which we received many compliments (Aaron Kennedi was the brochure's designer). Danilo Black has won a large number of awards for design excellence. You can imagine my excitement when Roger told me that they would once again donate the graphic design for the 2006 brochure.
If you need expert help, call them. Their website highlights their work.
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Sapient Corporation of Cambridge, Massachusetts (and internationally).
www.sapient.com
One of the leading web design firms in the world, Sapient serves a sophisticated business clientele developing corporate web platforms that add value to their clients' business. Kyle Laughlin, a former PeerCorps teen who became an accomplished web designer, approached his employer and requested that he lead a team from Sapient in Cambridge to re-do our old website (it's hard to believe, but I set up the original site in 1994). The website badly needed revamping. We never could have afforded this professional make-over without their major in-kind offer. Together with his colleague, Noel Heaney, Kyle and a team devoted many hours at a true cost of tens of thousands of dollars, to give us a site we have been proud of. Another former PeerCorps teen, Hung Trieu, who was working in the TeenAIDS office and with Dr. John, Hung traveled to Cambridge regularly to assist the team as Dr. John's personal rep. Our thanks to Sapient Corporation, Kyle and Noel for their service to TeenAIDS' internet outreach.
Note: Once again, Kyle is overseeing the design and implementation of the biggest revamping of our website ever, this time as part of his own business. His father, Terry Laughlin serves on our Board of Directors.
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South End Photo Lab of Boston
www.southendphotolab.com
Steve Walker has helped us since the beginning of Dr. John's Global Walk. Located on busy Tremont Street in the city's historic center, Steve knows the world of photography working with leading photographers. He has donated many high quality color prints that we have sent to teens around the world. Dr. John and Steve did business back in the days when John owned Paté Poste, before his Harvard degrees and his AIDS prevention work.
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InLingua Translations of Boston, Massachusetts
www.inlingua.com
Barbara McCarron and Cynthia Samaras have assisted TeenAIDS by having my "trademark" business cards translated into many foreign languages. They are tops in the translation field and have corporate clients everywhere (InLingua has branches in the U.S. and overseas). I've never had a request for a foreign language translation denied because they could always find somebody to do the translations at their cost. If you need fine, competent translations, contact them.
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MIT Media Lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts
www.media.mit.edu
When I first announced in the Fall of 1998 that I was planning to undertake "A Walk of a Lifetime" to educate teens, Professor Glorianna Davenport of the Media Lab's Interactive Cinema section came forward with critical help (I had received my first Masters degree at MIT in 1980 and knew Glorianna well. I also co-taught a course on street filmmaking, my specialty, with renowned cinema verité filmmaker, Professor Richard Leacock). Formerly, the section was a little-known department called the Film/Video Section stuffed in the Architecture Department. MIT offered very little in the way of liberal arts and this artsy concentration was involved in using the newest and most innovative applications in the emerging video equipment field back in the days when people still argued whether Beta or VHS would survive. Today's exciting high tech advances originate in the creative minds of Media Lab's students.
Without Glorianna's strategic help, the beginning of my Global Walk would have been more problematic. She arranged for two interns (Brian Peck and Steve Lim) to work in-kind on the technology aspects a long global trek. One of them Steve Lim has stayed with TeenAIDS since 1998, ensuring that bugs were smoothed out and I was able to stay in contact with home base. Amazingly, Steve arranged a FREE phone for me to use virtually anywhere in the world. Supposedly, I ran up $50,000 of international calls until one day in Nepal in late 2000, I got a call from some perturbed operator demanding to know who I was and why I was using the number. You may remember the heady boom times of the 1990s when dot.coms and start-ups came and went in flash mergers. Evidently the first phone carrier was sold to another and so on but I had the phone for perhaps 18 months. Also, I want to thank filmmaker Karine Hrechdakian who helped me edit my first mini-DVDs at Interactive Cinema, and to Kevin Brooks and Tony Pulsone who helped find unused equipment (Glorianna gave me her older model JVC video camera that I used to record the first 20 countries of my Walk).
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Fitchburg State College in Fitchburg, Massachusetts
www.fsc.edu/homepage/index.cfm
Just minutes from Dr. John's home and the TeenAIDS' office, is the state college. We have been fortunate to have had students, both paid a small wage or interns, help run TeenAIDS' day-to-day smoothly. Dr. John has said that leadership skills and taking individual responsibility are important lessons for the youth with whom he works.
The President of FSC, Robert Antonucci has agreed in principle that FSC and TeenAIDS should host a day long training program run by Dr. John to build a greater cadre of PeerCorps volunteers in the north central part of Massachusetts. Professors Jeff Warmouth, Charles Sides, Helen Obermeyer Simmons, Charles Roberts and Randy Howe have told students about unique opportunities at TeenAIDS. Professor Jeff Breen of the Psychology Department, has had John speak to his students about adolescent motivation and decision-making as it regards sex and HIV prevention.
Grant Development Coordinator Karen Frank Mays has hosted workshops by Dr. John for visiting doctors and AIDS workers from Eastern Europe. Many of these contacts helped plan Dr. John's 3 week series of walks and talks throughout Ukraine in 2005. Additionally, Karen has donated many hours of her time helping TeenAIDS write grant proposals (not an easy task for me, a novice in the field). I also want to acknowledge former FSC student Jenn Tuomala who has donated her research abilities and time for Dr. John's book.
Presently, Senior Kevin Pelletier is working as a web intern with major responsibility for the website's re-launch (see Staff).
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Harvard University Carpenter Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts
www.peabody.harvard.edu/museum_carpenter.html
Some of my MIT colleagues moved on to Harvard's Carpenter Center's film departments (Robb Moss, John Gianvito, and Russ McElwee) and support TeenAIDS' outreach still. Professor Robb Moss teaches filmmaking to Harvard students and has had me speak to his students and show excerpts from my Global Walk. Currently, he serves on our Board of Directors. In 2005 he arranged for graduate teaching assistant Pacho Velez to make two short films for TeenAIDS. One is targeting teens that I can take with me on the road for use in schools and on TV. The second is one for adults, especially potential donors.
This major in-kind donation included the services of Kasia Cieplak-von Baldegg, an intern who duplicated Dr. John's original mini-DVDs for Pacho to edit. Robb has arranged all this and I am grateful for the quality assistance.
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Mt. Wachusett Community College in Gardner, Massachusetts
www.mwcc.mass.edu
A small community college with hard working and grounded students, Mt. Wachusett has provided TeenAIDS with interns and student helpers. The college's Career Placement head, Pat Brewerton has found a number of student interns to work in our offices and help work on our website. A student-run Job Fair brought two interns Emily Sellars and husband Andrew Bridy to us as interns (see staff). Recent graduates of Cornell University. They assisted with collecting context and visuals for the revamped website - before leaving for Honduras as Peace Corps.
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Andrei Izurov of Amherst, Massachusetts
izurov@som.umass.edu
Andrei assists me with Russian language translations, especially in planning my walks in Belarus and Ukraine in 2005. I first met Andrei at Fitchburg State College when he was hired to be their professional translator to a group of Ukrainian doctors learning about AIDS work in the U.S. He is teamed up with his wife, Tanya, in this field. Andrei has been generous with his time.
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Nyumbani Home for AIDS Orphans
At the 2000 International AIDS Conference held in Durban, South Africa, I received an email invitation from Catholic Priest Angelo D'Agostino, M.D., director of a remarkable home for orphans, most of whom were born with HIV. I was invited to stay at the Orphanage while conducting my street outreach in Nairobi. Together with Lynne Elson, a representative of the Walter Reed Army Medical team in Kericho who spoke to me at the Conference, my outreach time in Kenya was extended because of their in-kind donations of free lodgings.
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Computers Down Under
www.cdunder.com
I was first introduced to the great people at Computers Down Under by a staff member who had good experiences with them fixing PCs. Because I have only worked on MAC computers since 1986, I never needed this firm to repair my computers. Now that TeenAIDS has expanded its staff and computer workstations, we now use three Pcs in addition to our Macs. So I have been introduced to Computers Down Under (apropos name because they have a basement office too) and they make house calls. Marty Rosenbaum, the owner, donated a great refurbished one to us with software too! His staff, Sean and David, has also provided excellent support.
Fitchburg Access Television
www.fatv.org
FATV is seen on Comcast Cable in Fitchburg on channels 8 (public), 9 (educational), and 10 (government)
FATV is also seen on Fitchburg State College Cable System on channels 39 (education), 40 (government), and 41 (public)
Fitchburg Access Television, Inc. (FATV) is an independent non-profit 501(C)(3) organization. FATV operates the PEG (public, educational and government) access channels on the cable television system in Fitchburg, Massachusetts.
As part of this responsibility FATV will provide:
1. training and technical assistance in the use of cable television production equipment
2. access to production resources, and
3. time on the public access, educational and governmental access channels.
Boston Celtics
www.bostonceltics.com
16 NBA Championships...A record 8 in a row from 1959-1966...Three separate Championship eras...When it comes to hanging Championship Banners, the Celtics are the cream of the crop. No organization has won more titles than the 16-time World Champion Boston Celtics. Whether it's the Green's first title in 1957, their 12th in 1974 or the 16th in 1986 the Celtics tradition of winning championships has stood the test of time.
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