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BUZZ kicks off Season 4 featuring The Hokie Way 749 299 Michael Hemphill

BUZZ kicks off Season 4 featuring The Hokie Way

News Release

September 25, 2023 (Roanoke, Va.) – Virginia Tech star basketball players Elizabeth Kitley and Sean Pedulla – along with Hokies football coach Brent Pry and women’s basketball coach Kenny Brooks – are featured in the Season 4 premier of BUZZ on Oct. 4 at 7 p.m. on Blue Ridge PBS.

Airing every Wednesday, BUZZ features the great work of nonprofit organizations in Southwest Virginia, and the marketing professionals affiliated with the American Advertising Federation of Roanoke who donate their time and talent helping charities attract more people to their cause.

The Season 4 premier – the 36th episode of BUZZ – stars The Hokie Way, a nonprofit that creates opportunities for Virginia Tech student-athletes to leverage their Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) in support of other charitable causes, such as Feeding Southwest Virginia, LifeRing Foundation, and Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia. 

“Since launching in 2020, we’ve been fortunate to feature nearly 50 organizations that represent the breadth and depth of charitable work in our communities: arts and culture, homelessness, literacy, outdoors recreation, suicide prevention, intellectual disabilities, and now college athletics,” said Michael Hemphill, BUZZ creator and host. “Our communities are strong because of nonprofits. We’re honored to share their missions on public television throughout Virginia and provide them with valuable marketing resources to help them create more buzz.” 

Other Season 4 BUZZ episodes in development are Spikenard Honeybee Sanctuary in Floyd County; RAMP (Regional Accelerator and Mentoring Program); and Arts Connect Neighbors in Roanoke.

All BUZZ episodes are available on demand at buzz4good.com/episodes. Hemphill also hosts the weekly radio show Buzz4Good! – interviewing nonprofit leaders throughout Southwest Virginia – on Saturdays at 4 p.m. on WFIR. Previous episodes are available on buzz4good.com/podcast.

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Contact:
Michael Hemphill | Creator of Buzz4Good
buzz4good.com | michael@buzz4good.com | 540.556.2879
@buzz4good on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn

This BUZZ is personal 900 506 Michael Hemphill

This BUZZ is personal

As originally broadcast July 26, 2023, on Blue Ridge PBS …

Twenty years ago I was new to the nonprofit world working on my first project in my community of Shawsville, Virginia: revitalizing an abandoned nursing home into a community center. 

Our group of volunteers had little money and no experience, but one organization was willing to believe in us and award us our first grant: The Community Foundation of the New River Valley. 

What an honor it has been to produce our newest BUZZ featuring the Community Foundation’s work helping hundreds of nonprofits throughout Virginia’s New River Valley. Thank you 5Points Creative and Bruce C. Bryan for providing the buzz for the Foundation as it coordinated its 10 annual — and biggest ever — GiveLocalNRV!

About the episode:

Founded in 1994 with just $8, the Community Foundation of the New River Valley today claims more than 200 funds and $15 million in assets from which it awards each year $500,000+ in grants and scholarships. Hundreds of nonprofits — and thousands of individuals — have been helped by this vital organization.

One of the big events that it hosts each year for the region’s nonprofit community is Give Local NRV, which celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2023. Returning to BUZZ for its seventh episode, 5Points Creative gives a major marketing boost to the Community Foundation for this milestone occasion.

Coming up on BUZZ: May-August 2023 schedule 900 675 Michael Hemphill

Coming up on BUZZ: May-August 2023 schedule

Tune in to Blue Ridge PBS on Wednesday 7:00 p.m. to watch BUZZ! New episodes air each month! Here’s the schedule of upcoming shows now through August.

NEW PODCAST! From Greed to Good: How Virginia Tech’s Unique NIL helps nonprofits 1024 1024 Michael Hemphill

NEW PODCAST! From Greed to Good: How Virginia Tech’s Unique NIL helps nonprofits

On today’s show  BUZZ creator Michael Hemphill talks Name, Image and Likeness or NIL, which allows college athletes to earn what is estimated to be more than $1 billion in 2023. NIL has transformed college athletics and created a new world rife with cynicism and greed.

But not at Virginia Tech … if The Hokie Way nonprofits has a say.

Listen Now

 
What is The Hokie Way? Listen as Virginia Tech alumnus and superfan Jim Petrine shares how The Hokie Way is transforming NILs into vehicles for positive change … and helping VT fulfill its mission of Ut Prosim, Latin for That I May Serve.

We also talk to one of The Hokie Way’s nonprofit partners, Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia, about how they’re benefiting from the Names, Images and Likenesses of Virginia Tech athletes.

And Michael shares the origin story for the BUZZ television show.

A message from BUZZ creator Michael Hemphill 900 586 Michael Hemphill

A message from BUZZ creator Michael Hemphill

I’m always encouraging nonprofit leaders to be more fearless about proclaiming the good they do so that more donors and volunteers will be attracted to their cause.

“Your organization is doing incredible work,” I’ll say. “Tell everyone about it.”

I should be following my own advice! Because Wednesday is GIVE Roanoke Day and we could use a little $$$ buzz of our own.

Give Now

Our work through the American Advertising Federation of Roanoke is funded 100% through charitable contributions and foundation grants.

We’re fortunate to have raised funding to produce upcoming episodes on YMCA of Virginia’s Blue Ridge, Art and Economic Development in Roanoke, Literacy Volunteers of the New River Valley, The Hokie Way, Alta Mons, Community Foundation of the New River Valley, and more!

For every new episode we produce each month, we try to host a Watch Party (usually at the Grandin Theatre) where the featured nonprofit can enjoy the experience of seeing their mission on the big screen with their donors, volunteers, friends and fans. 

Each Watch Party costs about $500, so on Wednesday we’re seeking to raise $4,000 to fund the rest of our 2023 Watch Parties.

If you appreciate our work, please consider a gift on GIVE Roanoke. Every donor will be credited onscreen for all 2023 Watch Parties. Thank you!