Peter Barr, Sr. to serve as Christmas Seals Chairperson in Orlando
Orlando, FLA (November 1, 2010)—
Former American Lung Association board member and long time business leader and community activist Peter Barr, Sr. will serve as Orlando’s official chairperson for the 2010 Christmas Seals® campaign.
“I am honored to serve as the chairperson for this campaign celebrating this respected holiday tradition,” said Barr. “The Association’s Christmas Seals® help fund programs and services right here in our community and we each must do our part to make a difference in improving the health of our friends, families and neighbors.”
Barr has devoted a large portion of his professional life to revitalizing and developing his community. In the past he has chaired both the Orlando Downtown Development Board and Chamber of Commerce. Barr also served as President of the Orange County Tuberculosis and Health Association Board from1974-75, and is committed to raising awareness of Christmas Seals® and the work of the American Lung Association in this community. Barr is passionate about the Association’s mission of improving lung health and preventing lung disease and will work throughout the Orlando area in this holiday season to increase awareness of the Association and its Christmas Seals® fundraiser.
“We are thrilled to welcome Mr. Barr as our Orlando chairperson for the 2010 campaign,” said Martha Bogdan, President and CEO of the American Lung Association of the Southeast, Inc. “The Christmas Seals® tradition continues to positively impact our fight for air at the local level by supporting services and programs surrounding healthy lungs and healthy air.”
Barr co-founded Fry Hammond Barr, a full-service marketing and communications agency in 1957 and currently serves as the firm’s Chairman. Fry Hammond Barr represents many retail and consumer brands including Bright House Networks, Nemours, Stein Mart, The Peabody Orlando and Moffitt Cancer Center. With offices in Orlando and Tampa, Fry Hammond Barr offers a wide range of services including advertising, public relations, interactive and marketing communications consulting. The agency currently employs a team of approximately 60 professionals and is led by Pete Barr, Jr.
The Christmas Seals® tradition is rich in history. In 1907, when tuberculosis was widespread and claimed the lives of countless individuals, treatment facilities called sanatoriums sprung up around the country, but most were makeshift and could only care for a few patients at a time. One of these sanatoriums in Delaware, which was in desperate financial straits, was run by a doctor named Joseph Wales. Dr. Wales asked his cousin, Emily Bissell, for help in raising money to care for the patients. Emily came up with the fundraising idea of the Christmas Seals® and the American Lung Association has used this concept for over one hundred years.
For more information on the history of Christmas Seals® or to place your order, make a donation or to share your personal Christmas Seals® story please visit www.ChristmasSeals.org.
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About the American Lung Association in Florida
Now in its second century, the American Lung Association in Florida is the leading organization in the state working to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease. With your generous support, the American Lung Association is “Fighting for Air” through research, education and advocacy. For more information about the American Lung Association in Florida, or to support the work it does, call 1-800-LUNGUSA (1-800-586-4872) or visit www.lungfla.org.
