LWT Communications artist James Hitchcock went on a field trip Thursday to get a paw print from a Chesapeake Bay retriever to use as a logo for the Humane Society of Elmore County. Hitchcock's clothing showed the imprint of the work he was doing.

"We wrestled a very large dog," he said. "We stuck his foot in some mud and tried it in ink, too."

All in a day's work? Sort of.

LWT Communications and LWT|KBK New Media wrapped up their 24-hour CreateAThon on Friday at noon, tweaking marketing campaigns, TV ads, brochures and Web sites for some very deserving clients: nonprofit agencies and organizations.

It was the conclusion of their third such adventure, one that Cindy Scott, who does business development for LWT, was very excited about.

"We all just know everybody so well at the end of 24 hours," Scott said. "We're always exhausted, but we always walk away saying it was worth it."

LWT Communications has an intensive approach to community service, with the entire agency contributing 24 hours to helping organizations with their advertising and marketing.

The business selects nonprofits through an application process that begins each spring, spends time with the clients to prepare for the CreateAThon, then fills the office with chocolate, Diet Coke and coffee for a noon-to-noon frenzy of creativity.

At midnight, the entire group met to review their process at the halfway point.

"We had a creative review at midnight, with a buffet with sinful goodies and chocolate a-plenty," Scott said.

She described the process as both silly and emotional at times.

The group reviewed work under way for the Hospice of Montgomery Web site, she said, and "It's just so close to the heart of the staffers. It was people just sharing their experiences."

"We came up with this: 'We are new beginnings. We are second chances. We are bright futures. We are Women in Recovery,'" Phillips said.

Graphic designer Cailyn Adkison created the logo for the organization, which provides a positive environment for women who are recovering from substance abuse and addiction. Adkison's logo was based on the organization's goal: an upward path leading to a bright future.

At the 21-hour mark on Friday morning, the group was a little punchy.

As they tweaked the marketing campaigns, TV ads, brochures and Web sites that they created for the agencies, staff members marveled at the amount of coffee they had consumed, remembered the all-nighters they had pulled in college and confessed to looking forward to an afternoon nap.

They also spoke passionately about the agencies they were helping, many blinking away tears as they described the people and the organizations that would benefit from their efforts.

Even at the end of a 24-hour spree of volunteer work, they were talking about next year's CreateAThon.