Cleveland Public Relations Society Calls for Entries For Second Annual Awards Program; ``Cleveland Rocks'' Awards Looks to Build on First Year's Success.

CLEVELAND -- The Greater Cleveland Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) is now accepting submissions for its second annual "PRSA Cleveland Rocks Awards" program. The awards will be presented during a luncheon reception Dec. 3 at Windows on the River at 2000 Sycamore Street in the Flats.

The awards will recognize the exemplary work being done by communications professionals in the public and private sectors in the Greater Cleveland area. Projects and campaigns completed since Sept. 1, 2003, are eligible. Entries fees are $50 for PRSA members and $75 for non-members. Organizations may enter submissions in as many categories as they like. Downloadable entry forms are available online at www.prsacleveland.org. The deadline for submissions is Oct. 4.

The PRSA chapter of Orange County, Calif., which is evaluating the Greater Cleveland chapter's submissions as part of a reciprocal agreement, will select the winners based on such criteria as research, planning, execution and evaluation. Winning entries must meet the highest standards of performance in the profession. The winners in each category will be presented with an engraved crystal award.

"With last year being our inaugural year, we received such encouraging feedback from the public relations community here, as evidenced by the number of entries received, the number of attendees at the awards luncheon and the amount of money raised for the scholarship fund, that we are looking forward to meeting the challenge of beating last year's numbers," said Edward M. Stevens, APR, president of Stevens Baron Communications, chairman of the Cleveland Rocks organizing committee and president-elect of the Cleveland chapter.

The Cleveland Rocks organizing committee introduces two new elements to this year's award. The first is a special trophy that is awarded to the "Best of Cleveland Rocks" award winner. The winner of the award maintains possession of the trophy for one year following its presentation before it must be passed on to the next year's winner. "We think of it as the Lord Stanley's Cup for the Cleveland PR community," said Stevens.

The second new element to be introduced this year is the "Judges' Choice" award. This new award will be given to the entry that was well received by the judges despite not scoring as many points as the entry given the "Best of Cleveland Rocks" award.

Tickets for the Dec. 3 luncheon reception cost $60 for PRSA members and $75 for non-members. Proceeds from the event support the Greater Cleveland PRSA Chapter's scholarship fund.

Sponsorship opportunities are available at the Presenting ($10,000), Gold ($2,500) and Silver ($1,500) levels. A host of companies have already committed their support. Edward Howard & Co. and Liggett-Stashower, Inc. are confirmed sponsors at the Silver level, and PR Partners, Inc., PR Newswire, Stevens Baron Communications, Inc. and Roop & Co. are confirmed sponsors at the Bronze level.

The citation on the program's call for entries reads: "The PRSA Cleveland Rocks Awards are awarded annually to public relations practitioners who, in the judgment of their peers, have successfully addressed a contemporary issue with exemplary professional skill, creativity and resourcefulness." For more information, write or call Ed Stevens at [phone], ext. 18, or [e-mail].

About the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)

The Public Relations Society of America (www.prsa.org), based in New York City, is the world's largest organization for public relations professionals. The Society has nearly 28,000 professional and student members. PRSA is organized into 116 Chapters nationwide, 18 Professional Interest Sections along with Affinity Groups, which represent business and industry, counseling firms, independent practitioners, military, government, associations, hospitals, schools, professional services firms and nonprofit organizations. The Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) has 250 Chapters at colleges and universities throughout the United States.

The Greater Cleveland Chapter's commitment to strengthening the careers of its approximately 300 members has been nationally recognized as a "PRSA Chapter of Excellence" for professional development. The chapter's commitment to enhancing public relations knowledge also extends to the student level. PRSA members offer professional liaisons and an internship program to three Cleveland area colleges and universities through its PRSSA chapters. To learn more, please visit the Chapter's Web site at www.prsacleveland.org.