February 18, 2025
Susquehanna University’s Paul Dannelley Chapter of Public Relations Student Society of America won a Silver Keystone Award for their 2024 Race to Donate organ donation campaign, marking the chapter’s fifth consecutive year of recognition.
Presented by the Central Pennsylvania Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America at their recent Keystone Awards Luncheon, the Silver Keystone Award recognizes outstanding public relations campaigns and tactics demonstrating excellent planning, creativity and impactful results.
Avery Atkins ’25, a communications and creative writing double major from Lebanon, Pennsylvania, a member of the campaign’s planning committee, accepted the award. The event was also attended by Dawn Benfer, general manager of WQSU, who served as emcee, and Linda Burkley, lecturer in communications and PRSSA advisor. Burkley also served as the Awards Chair.
“Our Keystone Awards Program celebrates the stories we tell and the impact we make as communications and public relations professionals,” said Maggi Barton, former president of PRSA Central PA and president-elect of Mid-Atlantic PRSA. “At large, the program invites local communicators to push the boundaries of their creativity, find the best ways to successfully connect with audiences, share their innovative campaigns and reflect on the impactful narratives they’ve crafted over the past year. We applaud all the winners for their exceptional achievements and the powerful stories they helped bring to life.”
Also winning a Silver Keystone Award was the Gift of Life Donor Program’s College Challenge: Students Save Lives, a competition that urges college students to raise awareness of the benefits of organ donation, with Susquehanna University placing in the competition’s top three for the past five years. This year’s car-themed campaign secured 60 new organ donors.
About Susquehanna PRSSA
PRSSA is a national organization aspiring to enhance the public relations education of its members, broaden their professional network and help launch their careers through a variety of experiences and opportunities. The Paul Dannelley chapter is one of over 300 PRSSA chapters nationwide and was named after former Susquehanna public relations professor and author Paul Dannelley in 1991.
About Central PA PRSA
The chapter was formed in 1959 and is one of the oldest chapters in the country. With 115 members strong, membership represents a diverse group of professionals at all stages of their careers, including practitioners in corporate, government, nonprofit, education, health care and association industries with a common desire for professional public relations practice and to continue education and the advancement of the profession. For more information, visit www.PRSACP.org.