AGS provides ongoing support to charities

CROWLEY, Texas — AGS has made a name for itself in the campground business, providing guest guides and web services for more than 600 campgrounds, RV parks and resorts across the United States and Canada, the company announced today.

 

But as AGS continues to increase its customer base, it aims to do much more than solidify its reputation as the “go to source“ for campground guides and web marketing. AGS also hopes to make a positive difference in the world by providing ongoing support to five charities that are involved in everything from advocating the humane treatment of animals to providing critical healthcare services for children with cancer, wounded veterans as well as impoverished people overseas.

 

“Our organization has been very blessed,” said Brian Schaeffer, president and founder of Texas Advertising, which acquired AGS from the Good Sam Enterprises last year. “With hundreds of parks as clients, we literally have thousands of businesses that support our customers’ parks as advertisers.”

 

But by donating a portion of each ad sale to a charity, Schaeffer said AGS can help support several worthwhile humanitarian and animal rights organizations at a time when many charities have seen their donations decline.  The charities to receive support through the AGS Cares Program include:

  • The Doris Day Animal League — Founded in 1987 by actress Doris Day, the group works to reduce the pain and suffering of animals though legislative initiatives, education and programs to enforce statutes and regulations that have already been enacted to protect animals. The group, which merged with the Humane Society of the United States in 2006, strongly encourages the spaying and neutering of companion animals. www.ddal.org
  • KOA Care Camps — A non-profit charity of the KOA Owners Association, KOA Care Camps send kids with cancer to special camps where they can enjoy camping and recreational experiences at no charge to their families. Created in 1984, the program has grown to support 48 KOA Care Camps as of 2011.www.koacarecamps.com
  • IMAHelps — Headquartered in Rancho Mirage, Calif., IMAHelps organizes annual humanitarian missions to provide critical healthcare services, including cleft lip and cleft palate surgeries, to some of the poorest communities in Latin America and Asia. IMAHelps medical teams include general internal medicine doctors, plastic and maxillofacial surgeons, pediatricians, OB-GYNs, dentists, prosthetists and physical therapists. Last year, a team of more than 80 IMAHelps volunteers provided healthcare services to more than 12,200 patients in Esteli, Nicaragua. Medical missions are scheduled for this summer in Jinotega, Nicaragua and Yushu, Tibet. www.imahelps.org
  • St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital — Founded by the late entertainer Danny Thomas and based in Memphis, Tenn., St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is internationally recognized for its pioneering work in finding cures and saving children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. St. Jude is the first and only pediatric cancer center to be designated as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute. St. Jude freely shares its discoveries with scientific and medical communities around the world. It’s also the only pediatric cancer research center where families never pay for treatment not covered by insurance. No child is ever denied treatment because of the family’s inability to pay. www.stjude.org
  • Wounded Warrier Project — This non-profit organization was set up to provide post 9/11 veterans with a variety of programs to nurture wounded veterans’ minds and bodies, while encouraging their economic empowerment and engagement. Services include a combat stress recovery program, family support retreats, adaptive sports programs and soldier bicycle rides. The group also provides veterans who have lost multiple limbs with secondary rehabilitation for prosthetic care to maximize their mobility and help them regain independence through the organization’s partnership with Hangar Prosthetics and Orthotics.www.woundedwarriorproject.org

 

“We researched many organizations and chose these five because they touched our hearts,” Schaeffer said, adding, “We have supported several of them personally for years.”

 

The AGS Cares Program was rolled out last week at the AGS annual meeting of its 25 marketing teams following a presentation from Dollywood’s Imagination Library, a children’s literacy program the company has supported for the last five years.

 

AGS donated a total of $3,500 to the five charities last week, which is a small portion of the amount to be donated at the end of the first quarter of 2012, said Schaeffer. AGS plans to make subsequent donations to the charities on a quarterly basis.

 

For more information about AGS, visit www.agspub.com.

 

SOURCE: AGS Guest Guide Services press release