National Dairy Council Vacates Role of International Sponsor for Destination ImagiNation

CHERRY HILL, N.J., Sept. 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

Sept. 2, 2011

Dear Friends,

For two decades, Destination ImagiNation has had a strong relationship with the National Dairy Council (NDC). Sadly, I was informed this week by an NDC spokesman that NDC is withdrawing its support of Destination ImagiNation, essentially abandoning its decades-long outreach to a very significant consumer demographic. NDC's presence has become an integral part of the Destination ImagiNation experience. It saddens me to imagine a Global Finals without a packed arena of 16,000 youth and adults "mooing" to welcome a dairy representative, without coolers of milk at outdoor lunches, without physical activities supported by NDC. These experiences have been meaningful for our participants and are now in jeopardy.

Although this decision by NDC will impact Destination ImagiNation's budget by $250,000 a year, of more concern is the termination of the dairy industry's health and wellness message to our worldwide constituency. As the leader of a non-profit, I understand the pressures of the current economic climate, and the necessity of refocusing priorities. This is why I accept that the sponsorship could not be renewed for this year, but I hope that the door is not closed—I hope we can continue our message and find other ways to work with the dairy industry in the future.

OUR RELATIONSHIP RUNS DEEP

Destination ImagiNation has worked strategically with NDC to effectively and successfully connect the dairy community and its messages of healthy diet and lifestyle with millions of children and adults involved in and supporting our organization throughout the U.S. and Canada (and 18 foreign countries). As Mrs. Cynthia Haren, CEO of the Western Dairy Association (WDA), so aptly wrote in the WDA's summer newsletter, the combined mission of dairy farmers and Destination ImagiNation "is to develop lifelong dairy consumers and create enrichment opportunities for children."

Although the mission described by Mrs. Haren seems to be in jeopardy, there is a viable alternative to consider that will keep that mission alive, one that can maintain and grow dairy's long-term market share. While we have been informally associated with the Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) cooperative through NDC, the door is open now for DFA and its 16,000 members nationwide to redefine a new, mutually beneficial, and more direct relationship with Destination ImagiNation. I look forward to beginning this conversation with the DFA leadership right away, especially the potential of including dairy industry career development in our joint strategy.

Continuing our partnership with America's dairy farmers makes sense for many reasons, as we share your values of integrity, ethics, accountability, innovation, commitment, community service, quality and passion. We also share the vision that young people who are well educated about the role of dairy products in achieving a healthy lifestyle will continue to use and promote the use of those products for generations to come. We look forward to our next steps together with the Dairy Farmers of America to leverage the new opportunities at hand!

With or without the further sponsorship, we will also continue to honor the memory of James P. "Tom" Camerlo, former chairman of the Dairy Farmers of America, by presenting the Camerlo Award to individuals who have committed countless hours and donated extraordinary resources to Destination ImagiNation. Camerlo was a longtime supporter and principal architect of the NDC's partnership with Destination ImagiNation.

THE OPPORTUNITY: BECOME AN ADVOCATE

As the CEO of a grassroots non-profit, I appreciate the value of hard work, as well as the voices of the people at the ground level. Destination ImagiNation maintains a volunteer network of more than 35,000 people worldwide. With the NDC as our International Sponsor, we have been able to positively affect 125,000 youth participants annually. These children exhibit creative growth; work effectively within teams; and grow as performers, presenters, and citizens. Their experiences have been due, in large part, to NDC's contributions. We can continue to make a difference with your help. We encourage you to become an advocate of the Destination ImagiNation and DFA relationship by:

• Submitting a Personal or Corporate Donation: If every member of the DFA were to provide a $20 donation, the total donation would amount to $320,000. You can donate here, or contact Heather Gaskins for more information on how to support Destination ImagiNation.
• Contacting DFA Leadership: Every voice counts. Let's explore new ways of continuing our beneficial relationship with NDC and Dairy Management, Inc.
• Becoming a Part of Our Strategic Dairy Alliance: We will always continue our efforts to affect children with positive and healthy experiences. For example, we have entered into a new contract with the National Head Start Association to provide new and innovative instructional programs to potentially reach one million young people annually in 14,000 Head Start centers. A large part of the programs involve introducing Head Start children to nutritional menu selections.

We welcome the institution of a new Strategic Dairy Alliance to continue our historical efforts to develop healthy minds and bodies. Your insight would be invaluable as we continue our important work.

THANK YOU

I thank you for your time, and Heather and I welcome any questions, comments or feedback. We—and more importantly, our participants—are forever indebted to your support.

Sincerely yours,

Chuck Cadle

Contacts:
Chuck Cadle, M.Ed., CPA, Licensed Educational Leader
Chief Executive Officer
1111 South Union Avenue
Cherry Hill, NJ 08002
856.881.1603 x 121
706.755.4176 cell
[email protected]

Heather C. Gaskins, CFRE
Director Institutional Advancement & Resource Development
Destination ImagiNation, Inc.
1111 S. Union Ave.
Cherry Hill, NJ 08002
571.393.5661
[email protected]

SOURCE Destination ImagiNation