Ongoing 2011-2012 email correspondence with Tavis Smiley Staff
To: asktavis
Subject: Re: Tavis Smiley: Ask Tavis
I would like to share my youth sobriety advocacy message on the Tavis Smiley Show. 25% of our nation’s college students are either abusing or addicted to alcohol and/or drugs. If a youngster reaches 21 without drinking or drugging, addiction will not be an issue in their future according to Joseph A. Califano Jr’s Columbia University CASA research. Our mission @ www.bradmersereau.com is to honor the memory of my sister who died at 46 after a 25 year unsuccessful struggle with her alcoholism. 320 participants collectively affirm 4700 sober years on our Sobriety Anniversary webpage. 100 youngsters have pledged to honor their minds, bodies and spirits without drugs or alcohol @ Laura’s Pledge. A discussion about drug/alcohol refusal skills in schools throughout our country could save lives. Califano concludes educational excellence will never be achieved until we solve the addiction challenge which has reached epidemic proportions in the U.S.
Thanks for your consideration.
Brad Mersereau
To: brad@bradmersereau.com
Subject: RE: Tavis Smiley: Ask Tavis
Thank you for taking the time to write us! Your thoughts and concerns are very important to Mr Smiley. If we can fit an interview into our programming you may be contacted by one of our producers. Keep striving and keep the faith!
Best Regards,
Tavis Smiley Staff ap0211
To: asktavis
Subject: Re: Tavis Smiley: Ask Tavis
Thank you for your encouraging reply. I have formed a recent alliance with The Partnership @ Drugfree.org to share my youth sobriety advocacy message on their main News Blog at www.drugfree.org/newsroom. Information about our Sobriety Pledge and Sobriety Anniversary webpages will be posted in late March and will reach a large audience of sobriety education professionals in addition to Facebook and Twitter followers.
I remain resolute and will keep the faith!
Brad Mersereau
To: brad@bradmersereau.com
Subject: RE: Tavis Smiley: Ask Tavis
Your response has been received.
To: asktavis
Subject: Re: Tavis Smiley: Ask Tavis
The Partnership@ Drugfree.org published my blog today @www.drugfree.org/newsroom/spotlight-brad-mersereau. Our goal is to exceed 200 Sobriety Pledges by the end of 2011. An interview with Tavis Smiley would make that happen in a heartbeat! Multiple ounces of prevention would be a blessing beyond belief.
Thanks for your interest.
Sincerely, Brad Mersereau
To: asktavis
Subject: Re: Tavis Smiley: Ask Tavis
With our April updates, 358 participants now collectively celebrate over 5000 addictive-free years on our Sobriety Anniversary webpage. An interview with Tavis Smiley would facilitate our ability to share a message of hope with a much larger audience in Recovery. Our macro goal remains to document and affirm 20,000 sober years by 2025. Thanks for your enlightening and engaging television program which I watch faithfully.
Brad Mersereau
To: brad@bradmersereau.com
Subject: RE: Tavis Smiley: Ask Tavis
Your response has been received.
To: asktavis
Sent: Monday August 29, 2011
With August updates, 450 participants now celebrate 6350 sober years on our Sobriety Anniversary webpage. Our online sobriety support community has gained one new participant each day this summer. Our mission @ www.bradmersereau.com remains to keep the memory of my sister Laura alive with addiction prevention / recovery hope and help. In February, a staff member indicated my youth advocacy sobriety message was important to Mr. Smiley and I may be contacted by one of your producers. 130 youngsters have pledged to live their dreams without alcohol or drugs on our Sobriety Pledge webpage. We receive 1000 new monthly webpage views. An interview with Tavis would expand our reach exponentially with lifesaving information, and we continue to keep the faith.
Thank you for your time and attention.
Sincerely, Brad Mersereau
To: Brad Mersereau
Sent: Wednesday, October 05, 2011
Dear, Brad
Thank you for your email. Mr. Smiley appreciates your feedback regarding Guest suggestion. Unfortunately, Mr. Smiley does not have time to read EVERY email. We do, however, make every effort to summarize these emails for both Mr. Smiley and our producers. Should your guest idea fit into our programming schedule, you may hear Mr. Smiley chatting with him/her/them/the group on a future show. Keep striving and keep the faith.
Best regards,
Tavis Smiley Staff yj1011
To: asktavis
Sent: Saturday January 28, 2012
I remain hopeful for an interview with Tavis Smiley. Our mission remains to keep the memory of my sister Laura alive with addiction prevention / recovery hope and help. Since our last correspondence in August 2011, we have received a new Sobriety Anniversary date every day! 662 participants now affirm 8600 collective clean and sober years on our Sobriety Anniversary webpage. We plan to celebrate 10,000 Sobriety Anniversary years in 2012 and 20,000 by 2025. 165 youngsters have pledged to honor mind body and spirit without drugs or alcohol before 21 on our Sobriety Pledge webpage. This is their best strategy for avoiding future addiction.
25% of our nation’s college youth are abusing or clinically addicted to alcohol or drugs. (Joseph A. Califano Jr. research referenced at SoberNation.) I believe we must attempt to make a difference!
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Brad Mersereau