McCann Worldgroup
CSR
・END ALS
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
(Also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease)
ALS is a life-threatening disease characterized by the gradual weakening and atrophying of the muscles of the entire body, including that of the limbs, throat, tongue, and that required for breathing. Meanwhile, bodily sensation, cognitive function, vision, and functions of the internal organs remain intact. The cause of the desease is still unknown, yet the progression of the disease is extremely rapid, with an average life expectancy of 2 to 5 years after diagnosis. In the end, eye movement becomes the only means of communication. Some patients even lose their eyes which is called “Totally Locked in State (TLS).”
A cure is yet to be found. 10,000 patients in Japan await for a cure.
Our important friend and colleague Hiro Fujita, planning director of McCann Japan was diagnosed with ALS just before his 31st birthday in 2010. In March 2011 he became wheelchair-bound.
Early 2012 he needed a respirator and in January 2013 he had tracheotomy which resulted in his losing his voice. His eyes became his only tool for communication.
With the strong belief that there must be a reason for Hiro to have been diagnosed with ALS, Hiro decided to fight ALS.
The first thing he did was to establish the END ALS Association with the mission to make ALS famous and lead to a cure and support policy change to provide comfort – communication tools for patients to be able to remain a member of society.
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・MAKE-A-WISH OF JAPAN
In October 2002, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of McCann Erickson’s headquarters in New York, various corporate citizenship projects were launched in local offices in over 100 countries. Make-A-Wish of Japan (MAWJ) was the chosen organization for the Japan Office.
MAWJ is an official affiliate of Make-A-Wish Foundation International, an international volunteer organization dedicated to realizing the wishes of children fighting life-threatening diseases. MAWJ arranges, executes, and bears the full cost of fulfilling the wishes of ill children from 3 to 17 years old. Over 3000 wishes have been granted, including swimming with wild dolphins, visiting NASA, and seeing a whale.
Funds for the wish-granting are raised through donations by corporate, organizational, and individual donors, as well as through profits from MAWJ-hosted charity events and proceeds from the sale of original merchandise. In 2022, MAWJ celebrated 30 years of charitable work in Japan. We, MW developed the newspaper, magazine ads for World Wish Day on April 29, 2022, and online ads as well as the MAWJ 30th anniversary party at the end of the year.
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