Riggs Partners and the University of South Carolina are pleased to announce that both organizations will once again host CreateAthon events this fall. is a 24-hour marathon during which professionals and students in the communication arts deliver marketing services to nonprofit organizations on a pro bono basis.

Riggs Partners will hold its 17^th annual CreateAthon on October 23-24, 2014, to coincide with National Pro Bono Week. The USC School of Journalism and Mass Communications will host their 24-hour pro bono marketing event November 7-8, 2014, with participation from throughout the university community.

“Our students had an incredible experience last year hosting USC’s first-ever CreateAthon,” said Karen Mallia, Associate Professor at USC’s School of Journalism and Mass Communications. “By putting their growing professional talents directly to work for charitable causes, they’re able to help these organizations build much-needed marketing capacity.”

Last year, 57 students created a breadth of marketing communications materials for six South Carolina nonprofits. “We’re delighted to continue CreateAthon@USC,” said Mallia. “It’s a powerful service-learning experience that benefits the students and the community.”

Riggs Partners, the founding organization of CreateAthon, is an avid supporter of the USC CreateAthon event. “We were thrilled the university’s first CreateAthon was so successful, ” said Teresa Coles, co-founder of CreateAthon. “Several members of our team were able to see the student-led CreateAthon presentations, and it was a joy for us to see both the caliber of work produced by these students and the spirit in which they embraced the CreateAthon concept.”

Riggs Partners founded CreateAthon in 1997 as an innovative way to provide pro bono services to nonprofits. The program has achieved significant impact since its national launch in 2002, attracting more than 80 agencies, universities, professional organizations and corporate marketing departments throughout the world as CreateAthon partners. In total, the program has served more than 1,500 nonprofit organizations with pro bono marketing projects valued at more than $16 million.

Midlands-area nonprofits may submit applications to Riggs Partners at www.riggs-createathon.com or to the University of South Carolina at www.createathonusc.org. USC will accept applications from nonprofits throughout the State of South Carolina provided those nonprofits are able to travel to the Columbia campus for meetings and presentations. The deadline for applications for both events is July 15.