Images of the flooding in Cedar Rapids were shown across the country last June, and residents of the city are hoping they can get some more national air time one year later. City spokesperson Cassie Willis says communications professionals have put together a national campaign to raise awareness.
she says they have come together as a community as volunteers and put together the campaign to tell the flood story and the fact that they need more money to recover. Willis says they started talking about the issue in February and put together a media kit that was sent out to 50 national media outlets.
Willis says they’ve sent to the info to “60 Minutes” to Time Magazine, N.B.C., C.B.S., C.N.N. to U.S.A. Today, and other news outlets as they attempt to get out their story. Willis says the ultimate goal is to raise enough attention that federal lawmakers take notice.
Willis says they believe one of the best ways to get to congress and President Obama is for the national media to tell their story for them. Willis says they understand there are a lot of people facing problems with the economy — but she says Cedar Rapids was hit by an historic natural disaster.
She says it’s a tough economic time and they want to be sure that the story of Cedar Rapids gets told. Willis says they know if they don’t get attention on at the one year mark, then it may take years to get the funding they need to recover. You can see more about the campaign on the Cedar Rapids Flood Story campaign website .