Every client has a story to tell, a goal to reach. We believe every public relations story and marketing goal should be approached with a “sky’s the limit” style.
That positive inspiration carries over to the Hendricks Communications’ blog, below. Offering inspiring tips, news and reflections on writing, marketing, social media and much more; join us in the conversations below!
By Karen Hendricks – This article was originally published in the Gettysburg Times, June 16, 2018
In April 1948, York County native Earl Shaffer set out to do what no man had done before—hike the Appalachian Trail’s (A.T.) 2,000-some miles in one continuous hike. His motivation was to “walk off the war” and his experiences serving in the U.S. Army during World War II.
Not only was he the first person to successfully “thru-hike” the longest hiking-only footpath in the world from Georgia to Maine at the age of 29, but he went on to do it two more times, hiking in reverse from Maine to Georgia—and being the first to do so—in 1965; and commemorating the 50th anniversary of his first hike with a 1998 trek at the age of 79.
Last month (May 2018), during this 70th anniversary year of Earl’s first hike, two of Earl’s relatives launched their own A.T. adventure to pay homage to the legendary trail figure.
The father-daughter pair, Dan and Kim Shaffer, who called Earl their uncle and great uncle respectively, began hiking the A.T. at Pen Mar Park, Cascade, Maryland, heading north, Continue reading
NYC’s Central Park: One of my favorite places on earth
By Karen Hendricks
When your mother told you to “Go play outside,” she may have been laying the groundwork for a lifelong healthy habit. Continue reading
Wellness is all the rage: It’s a $686 billion industry–and growing. The global market for health and wellness is expected to swell to $815 billion by 2021, according to Euromonitor International.
The buzzword “wellness” can be defined as “the state of complete physical, mental and social well-being” (World Health Organization).
Going one step further, Continue reading
New: Ribeye breakfast sliders marry breakfast and lunch on mini croissants at Christine’s Cafe, Gettysburg
“The most famous small town in America” is gaining a reputation as one of Pennsylvania’s new culinary hot spots. Gettysburg not only boasts a thriving downtown restaurant district, but an abundance of outlying, rural restaurants dotting the surrounding agricultural landscape.
Gettysburg’s growing reputation as a mecca for foodies is thanks in great part to the talented chefs locating to the area. I had the pleasure of interviewing two of the newest chefs in town, for two magazine articles, both published this month (October 2017).
Bon appetit!
At the Crossroads of American Fusion: Christine’s Café in Gettysburg, Susquehanna Style, October 2017 – with photography by Jen Foster, The Premise Studio
The Parrot: A Colorful History & Bright Future, Celebrate Gettysburg, Cover Story, Sept/Oct 2017 – with photography by Casey Martin, Casey Martin Photography
Harrisburg, PA
By Karen Hendricks
Central Pennsylvania is one of the most unique media markets in the country. That’s because unlike most markets geographically focused on one city, the Central PA media market combines four cities clustered together, along with additional medium-sized outlying towns. Often called “Hilly,” for its acroynm of HLLY, the area encompasses the capital city of Harrisburg, along with Lancaster, Lebanon and York.
Each city has its own unique personality, yet together the cities of HLLY form the heart of central PA–a region where urban landscapes give way to rolling farmland, where technology and tourism merge with manufacturing and agriculture to form the top industries.
My career, geographically speaking, has come full circle. I began my work in the HLLY market by living and working in Harrisburg in 1993; a recent move back to the Harrisburg area after 22 years in the York/Adams region feels like a homecoming of sorts.
So I consider it an exciting honor to begin writing for a Harrisburg-based publication that I’ve admired for its quality of writing and journalistic integrity for a long tme, TheBurg.
I hope you enjoy reading my first two pieces for TheBurg, with links below:
Al’s of Hampden in Enola
By Karen Hendricks
A “staycation” is defined as “a vacation spent at home or nearby,” according to Merriam-Webster. Here in the Susquehanna Valley of Central Pennsylvania, there are infinite possibilities for summer staycations, saving traveling time and shrinking vacation budgets, with the added benefit of seeing our hometowns in a new light. In fact, some of the state’s top tourism destinations are right under our noses. Continue reading
Just in time for summer, York County author Chris Williams has released a book of 12 little-known yarns about American’s favorite pasttime, baseball. I am so proud of Chris, a former radio colleague who is a fellow writer. Best practices call for us writers to write about what we know, and Chris certainly knows about baseball.
Could the 1966 Cubs be the best team to ever finish in last place? Would Greg Luzinski, Fernando Valenzuela, or Eric Gagne have had the careers they did, if they hadn’t been September call-ups? Should Dick Allen be finally elected to the Hall of Fame? Chris tackles these questions and more, including the unusual case of a rookie who hit .313 in his rookie season only to be sent back to the minors the following year.
The book is sprinkled with statistical analysis, along with human interest stories, and nostalgic memories. Chris recounts a childhood trip to one of baseball’s historic ballparks with his own father, and he transcribes an invaluable recording made by his great-grandfather Jacob “Jake” Jeremiah who played professional baseball in the early 1900s. Baseball simply must be in Chris Williams’ blood.
Congrats, Chris, on the fantastic book, perfect for summertime reading by fans of all ages.
