Left to right: PRPLI’s Julie Allegreti and Lauren DelGuidice with Book Fairies Executive Director Eileen Minogue and Tommy DiMisa, creator of Philanthropy in Phocus podcast.
The Public Relations Professionals of Long Island (PRPLI) sprinkled a bit of “reading magic” upon children from under-resourced communities on Long Island with its recent donation of 50 copies of the The Boy with the Faster Brain to the Book Fairies organization. Several PRPLI members dropped off the donation at the Book Fairies offices in Freeport, NY just in time for the start of the holiday season. Tommy DiMisa, host of Philanthropy in Phocus, a podcast that celebrates Long Island’s not-for-profit sector, also helped facilitate the donation.
The donation came about when PRPLI engaged Peter Shankman, author of the children’s book The Boy with the Faster Brain, to lend his knowledge about artificial intelligence to the practice of public relations in a virtual educational program. Shankman is the creator of the web-based tool Help a Reporter Out (HARO) and is respected in the public relations field for his innovative thinking and approach to solving communications problems.
Peter Shankman himself is neurodivergent and considers his ADHD a superpower. The Boy with the Faster Brain is about how some kids think differently from others due to neurological differences, which is an incredible display of representation in children’s literature. According to Peter’s site, the book was “created to show kids around the world that having a different brain, whether it be ADHD, ADD, EFD, or anything neurodiverse, is the best thing they could hope for.”
As a professional organization, PRPLI aims to help the community in a variety of ways. PRPLI sponsors several community service projects during the year. Learn more about PRPLI’s Programs and Outreach Committee here, or email info@prpli.org for more information.
