email correspondence to Charlie Rose, charlierose@pbs.org
Dear Charlie,
Phillip Seymour Hoffman and my sister share a common bond. Their addictions killed them. Over 400,000 Americans die annually from health-related issues caused by smoking cigarettes. Another 100,000 individuals die from the effects of alcohol or drugs. Over 10% of our population is addicted. Early education and more effective social policy could lower these troubling statistics. Nobody outside her friends and family knew my sister, Laura, whom I loved deeply. Tens of millions revered Mr. Hoffman and his monster talent … like Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, etc. etc., I wish that their stories could serve as teachable moments and save thousands of lives.
We honor my deceased alcoholic sister (46) with a different approach. Our mission is to make Laura’s memory matter. Kids who don’t drink or drug before 21 (documented by Joseph A. Califano Jr.’s How to Raise a Drug-Free Kid book) significantly reduce their possibility for addiction; hence our Sobriety Pledge. Since our May 2006 website launch, we have received 85,000 webpage views averaging 2 minutes each.
Our 2014 Sobriety Pledge goal is 250 … 18 to go. If you mentioned our Pledge on air, I believe we would double our goal. We have raised $2,700,000 with $1,600,000 in matching funds since Laura’s 6/13/1999 death for 8 Portland Oregon addiction prevention and recovery programs. Our Sobriety Anniversary webpage currently affirms 955 anonymous champions who collectively celebrate 13,750 clean and sober years.
Our 2025 goal is to welcome 25,000 Sobriety Anniversary milestone years, and I am confident that we will exceed it. Our Sobriety Pledge is our most important work, and it doesn’t cost a penny; instead, it requires desire coupled with education and loving support, to live one’s dream in a clean, sober, and transparent manner. Our mission is beyond fundraising! I am requesting your considerable center-of-influence assistance with a television program about the proactive approach to addiction prevention and recovery. If you booked me as a guest I would pay for airfare and hotel accommodations in a New York second! How about booking Joseph A. Califano Jr? He knows his stuff!
Sincerely, Brad Mersereau