Marketers rock around the clock for charities By Deborah Willoughby Montgomery Advertiser

Kris Kendrick, left, and Paul Macisaac, part owners of LWT/KBK New Media, work at their desks Thursday night during the agency's CreateAThon. -- Garrett Davis More info:   CREATEATHON PARTICIPANTS These are the nonprofit groups that received free marketing help: * Girls Scouts of South Central Alabama * Junior League of Montgomery * Montgomery Area Non-Traditional Equestrians (MANE) * Partners in Education * Prattville Creative and Performing Arts Council * The Samaritan Counseling Center * Second Chance Foundation * Wellspring for Women * Wetumpka Public Library Photo Galleries LWT's CreateAThon, Sept. 15 Camille Leonard looked amazingly chipper Friday morning as she ended an almost 24-hour shift at LWT Communications, where she is senior art director. "I feel more awake if I have on fresh lipstick," she said. "Also, I've had a lot of coffee." Leonard and her colleagues at LWT Communications and its sister company, LWT/KBK New Media, spent Thursday and much of Friday working for nonprofit groups, part of the agency's annual CreateAThon. This year, the CreateAThon produced free marketing strategies and materials for nine nonprofit groups, using about $75,000 worth of service time. It's an intensive approach to the type of charity work contributed by many businesses, and LWT employees enjoy the chance to go all-out for worthy causes. "With most of our clients, we have a history and a brand to maintain," Leonard said. "Working on the startup is exciting and fun." Camille Leonard designed a logo and an "art springs to life" poster for the Fountain City Arts Festival, which is planned for April 8 in Prattville. The festival's planners, Prattville Creative and Performing Arts Council, also will receive newspaper ads and a direct mail piece to be sent to artists and vendors. Friday morning, other LWT team members talked about the projects they worked on while they could have been sleeping. Graphic designer Leigh Hillabrand created an elegant, pie-shaped logo for Partners in Education. The logo will appear on business cards, stationery and brochures. "I'm on my second or third wind," she said at 9:30 a.m. Graphic designer Cailyn Haynes produced a brochure for the Wetumpka Public Library that contains a detachable bookmark. "It's really going to be useful for them," she said. Laura Hicks, project manager for LWT New Media, spoke for several of her colleagues who were still working on their projects. Her group created a logo, Web site and other marketing tools for Wellspring for Women, a Marbury program that helps women turn their lives around. "Something like this could take six months to produce, so to do it in 24 hours is amazing," Hicks said. Not everyone worked all night this year. Graphic designer Courtnie Johnson has a baby boy due any day now. Her colleagues insisted that she go home and get some sleep during the CreateAThon. "I've had a little more rest than anybody else," she said, adding that she plans to work the full 24-hour shift next year. Still, Johnson was able to produce a brochure for Second Chance Foundation, which helps adolescents who have been expelled from school. Other articles: • Marketers rock around the clock for charities • Judge OKs Chapter 11 exit plan • Real People@Work: Jennifer Murphy • Don't wait for disaster to bring out giving spirit • Stocks higher on upgrades • 2nd-quarter deficit down 1.5 percent • Gas prices drive up public transit use • Datebook Talk Alabama Forums Click here to start or read a forum about this story, politics, sports, food, movies, music, religion or anything that concerns you.