Massage Awareness Week

Marcia Martin, public relations chair inspired our Chapter’s finest outpouring of presence and support for this year’s Massage Awareness Week. Here is her report:

The Alabama Chapter of the AMTA truly shined during National Massage Therapy Awareness Week. We touched a total of 688 people in several different cities. We enjoyed media coverage via WNTM Radio 710 in Mobile, WRKH-96.1 The Rocket in Mobile, television interviews on WPMI NBC 15 in Mobile and a photo and short article on the AMTA's Massage Therapy Awareness Week on the front page of the metro section in the Mobile Press Register. We passed out 500 flyers and showed the Power of Touch video onsite in four different cities.

In Huntsville, Marc W. Ague coordinated an onslaught of events
including chair massage for employees of two Home Depots on Highway 72 and Memorial Parkway, chair massage at the Academy for Academics and Arts Elementary School on Poplar Ave and the American Red Cross Blood Donation Center on Washington Street. He was assisted by Kathleen Harris, Daniel Bauman, Stuart Dickson and Janice Taormina. Thank you so much for all your hard work.

In Montgomery, our Chapter President, Len Daley single-handedly gave free chair massage at the Home Depot location there, the American Red Cross Blood Donor Center and at Dr. Myrtle Goore's office working every day of that week passing out literature and educating people on how Massage Relieves Stress.

In Birmingham, Mary Cerutti gave free chair massage to employees of the Home Depot at the Eastwood Mall location. Ladonna Ward and several others were on their way to another Home Depot location when they had a car accident. Although they never made it, I thank them for their willingness to volunteer.

In Mobile, Gayla Henderson gave free chair massage to people at the World's Gym, Government Plaza, Downtown and the Home Depot on Schillinger Road. Also giving free chair massage at that Home Depot, was Gary Hilton. Thanks to Capps College School of Massage who took students to two branches of the Mobile Public Library (the Main Downtown on Government Street and the Springhill Moorer Branch), Blue Cliff School of Massage, Richard and Fonda Denny, who took students to Bel Air Mall for chair massage, Melissa Towe-Granger and Robin Joy who gave chair massage at an American Red Cross Blood Drive at Chris Myers Auto Mall in Daphne, Jack Raycraft and Debbie Lolly who worked on employees at the American Red Cross Blood Donor Center on Dauphin and Broad in downtown Mobile.

And finally Julia Young Hayes gave free chair massage at the newest branch of the Mobile Public Library on Grelot at Hillcrest Road.

To all of you who participated, I cannot express my gratitude. Thanks also to the members in the Birmingham area who helped direct me to volunteers in the eleventh hour. If I have left anyone out, please forgive me because we couldn't have done this without you. I believe that this kind of demonstration of commitment to education and support of the AMTA's values is evidence that Alabama has a strong chapter and a bright future. May you all be blessed this holiday season!

Marcia Martin
AMTA AL Chapter Public Relations Coordinator