Pitches & Writing

Sample Work: Pitch from internship with ALSAC/St. Jude

Hi X,

I have an inspiring and timely story I think will interest you.

A local group of students from Indian Land Elementary in Lancaster County, South Carolina, will be part of history when the Inspiration4 crew heads to space with a payload that includes a time capsule box the students put together.

The second graders entered the EPIC Challenge and Inspiration4 Science Fair, which brought in nearly 600 entries representing 285 classes in 225 schools across the country.

Their class received the Top Classroom Innovation Award representing Hope for the invention of the Buddy Blanket. Aptly named, the prototype features handwritten notes of encouragement for patients feeling sad or scared while undergoing treatment at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital®.

As a prize, the class got to fill a time capsule box that goes to space on Inspiration4. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity connects the students to St. Jude and Inspiration4, the world's first all-civilian mission to space, with a former St. Jude patient among the crew.

"So, I may have gotten a little teary just now in the UPS Store," wrote Sarah Betz Bucciero over the summer. "Our little box is packed and being overnighted to California where it will be put on Inspiration4."

Inspiration4 is scheduled to launch on Wednesday, Sept. 15, from Cape Canaveral, Florida, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The crew, including Jared Isaacman, Hayley Arceneaux, Chris Sembroski and Dr. Sian Proctor will orbit the Earth for multiple days in a Dragon spacecraft before returning to Earth. The launch time and date are weather dependent and may change.

I welcome you to run this story on your digital or social media channels. Photos can be provided and interviews can be arranged upon request.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Regards,

Carmen Michlovich

Intern, Public Relations

ALSAC – The fundraising and awareness organization for

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®

Sample Work: Pitch from internship with ALSAC/St. Jude

Hi, X!

Knowing all eyes will be on the skies for the Inspiration4 launch this week, there is a special St. Jude connection to note on the ground as the crew makes its way to the launch pad at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The Inspiration4 crew will travel in Tesla cars bearing license plates designed by 14-year-old St. Jude patient Ty to board the Falcon 9 launch vehicle. St. Jude not only treated Ty's cancer, but introduced him to his one, true passion: painting.

At just 2 years old, Ty began treatment at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for treatment of retinoblastoma, a rare form of eye cancer. While undergoing treatment, Ty turned to art for comfort. His medical team would have art supplies ready after procedures that required anesthesia. His parents recall that as soon as he woke up, he would turn to the canvas and paint.

Ty’s family is available for interviews this week to talk about the unique connection between the world's first all-civilian mission to orbit and the hospital that saved his life. Learn more about his healthcare story on St. Jude Inspire. Ty's feature is available for sharing.

As you may know, Inspiration4 commander Jared Isaacman selected St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as its beneficiary and committed $100 million to St. Jude to inspire others to raise an additional $100 million to accelerate research on devastating childhood diseases and save children all over the world.

Where to get Inspiration4 updates

All releases and assets will be available via this Inspiration4 electronic media kit.
The window for the Inspiration4 launch is now planned to begin no earlier than 7:02 p.m. (CT) on Wednesday, Sept. 15. Follow the St. Jude social media accounts (Facebook and Instagram) for up-to-the minute updates. You can watch the launch and splashdown landing via stjude.org/inspiration4.
Watch exclusive footage from the crew’s mission training in the third and fourth episodes of “Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space ” now live on Netflix.
Take a deep dive into the lives of the crew on Inspiration4 by listening to the St. Jude: Mission of a Lifetime podcast. This podcast documents the crew’s journey to space and features exclusive content. Find it on Apple, Google, Spotify and Amazon Music.
Check out the Inspiration4 auction to bid on one-of-a-kind experiences and items.
Before she blasts off into space, read how St. Jude survivor and physician assistant Hayley Arceneaux is preparing for this historic mission as the crew’s medical officer. Her latest “diary” entry for People magazine is now available.

About Inspiration4

Inspiration4 is the world’s first all-civilian mission to orbit with a launch window that begins at 7:02 p.m. CT on Wednesday, Sept. 15. Commander Jared Isaacman selected St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as its beneficiary and committed $100 million to St. Jude to inspire others to raise an additional $100 million to accelerate research on devastating childhood diseases and save children all over the world. Isaacman donated two seats to St. Jude, one of which will be occupied by 29-year-old Hayley Arceneaux, pediatric cancer survivor and physician assistant at St. Jude. Arceneaux will represent the pillar of Hope. The four crew members, including Isaacman and Arceneaux, will board the Falcon 9 launch vehicle at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and orbit the Earth for multiple days on the Dragon spacecraft, before they return to Earth with a smooth water landing.

See Ty’s license plate art below. *Please email me for larger images

Thank you,

Carmen Michlovich

Intern, Public Relations

ALSAC – The fundraising and awareness organization for

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®

Sample Work: Pitch from internship with ALSAC/St. Jude

NOTE: Yielded a 15% response rate

Hi X,

I followed your recent work, and I have a story idea that may interest you about a local cancer survivor who received treatment at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

I welcome your feedback.

Thank you,

Carmen

Carmen Michlovich

Intern, Public Relations

ALSAC – The fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®

Background information

For background information, St. Jude patients are from all 50 states and beyond. They are referred to St. Jude by their physicians and admitted if they are eligible for an open clinical trial. In case you weren’t aware, families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food – because all a family should worry about is helping their child live.

Elise’s story is part of a new series on St. Jude Inspire called United States of St. Jude. This collection of inspiring stories highlights the dedication of supporters from across the country who are united in supporting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital whose purpose is clear: Finding cures. Saving children.®

At a time when most 5-year-olds are playing outside all day and getting ready to start kindergarten, Elise’s parents received her frightening diagnosis: medullary brainstem glioma, a tumor in the brain.

Not long after treatment started, Elise became the youngest honorary member of the Iowa State Women’s Cyclone team. The bond was instant and profound. They supported one another; Elise came to nearly all the home games. The team showed their support by joining Elise at the annual St. Jude Walk/Run event year after year during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

Now 15 years old, Elise is still on the sideline for every game, providing not just enthusiasm but also inspiration. In addition to basketball, she spends her time playing the clarinet in her high school marching band. With college coming up fast, Iowa State is surely on Elise’s radar.

Elise is available for interviews. Can I connect you with her one day this week to talk about St. Jude and the Iowa State Women’s Cyclone Team?

We invite you to share Elise’s St. Jude Inspire feature on your social media channels. For interview requests and questions, please contact me or X at 000-000-0000.

Sample Work: Messaging for Inspiration4 in association with SpaceX, from internship with ALSAC/St. Jude

Messaging for SpaceX

“A journey to space. A cause for humanity.”

St. Jude 2-3 Key Messages

St. Jude is leading the way the world understands, treats, and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food – because all a family should worry about is helping their child live.
The mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has always been a bold journey – to treat children from around the globe, regardless of race, religion or a family’s ability to pay; to find and share new cures through groundbreaking research; to be a beacon of hope and healing for the world and some of its sickest children.

3-4 Talking Points about Inspiration4 mission, why it is important (as it relates to humanity and St. Jude)

Inspiration4 is not just a journey to space; it is a cause for humanity. The goals of Inspiration4 extend beyond those of traditional space flights.
- This mission will help generate awareness and funds that will have a significant impact on St. Jude’s ability to treat children from around the world while ensuring that families never receive a bill from St. Jude.
- “Inspiration4’s goal is to inspire humanity to support St. Jude here on earth while also seeing new possibilities for human spaceflight,” said mission Commander Jared Isaacman.
St. Jude was the chosen charity partner in this historic project by its commander, Jared Isaacman, who donated crew seats to help raise awareness and funds for St. Jude.
The four crew members represent a different pillar inspiring support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital: leadership, hope, prosperity and generosity.

The mission launch during September is particularly meaningful as it is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
- Pediatric cancer remains the leading cause of death by disease for children under the age of 14.
- Treatments invented at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20% to more than 80%. Thanks to generous supporters, St. Jude won’t stop until no child dies from cancer.

CTA’s for the screen (Drive to stjude.org/inspiration4; or follow us on social, including YouTube or where the stream will air)

Join the St. Jude mission or learn more by visiting stjude.org/inspiration4