CBS 3, CW PHILLY 57 DEDICATE FULL DAY TO ‘JOY OF SHARING’ CAMPAIGN FINALE

Day starts at 5 a.m. Monday, Dec. 19^th with live toy drop-off event;

Concludes 3 to 8 p.m. with on-air fundraiser benefitting Salvation Army

Donate at 1-877-KYW-3ASK (1-877-599-3275) or text JOY to 80888

CBS 3 and The CW Philly 57 will wrap up the stations’ 23^rd annual Joy of Sharing toy campaign benefiting the Salvation Army with a full day of toy collections and fundraising for families in need in our region.  

The campaign, which kicked off on Black Friday, November 25^th, will conclude this Monday, December 19^th as the stations encourage viewers and businesses to drop off new, unwrapped toys at its lobby entrance at 1555 Hamilton Street (entrance on 16^th Street between Callowhill and Spring Garden Streets) in Philadelphia. CBS 3 and The CW Philly personalities will be on hand to personally collect donations from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. that day.  CBS Radio sister station 98.1 WOGL will provide holiday music for the event.

In addition, CBS 3 and The CW Philly 57 will hold its third annual fundraiser for the Salvation Army, its holiday partner, to raise money for the neediest of our neighbors.  Anchors Susan Barnett, Pat Ciarrocchi and Erika von Tiehl will spearhead the fundraising effort from 3 to 8 p.m. on-air along with Jim Donovan and Beasley Reece.  Local celebrities including CBS Radio’s 98.1 WOGL’s Breakfast Club team of Ross Brittain, Valerie Knight and Frank Lewis , Talk Radio 1210 AM’s Chris Stigall and volunteers will staff the phone bank to take donations.  Viewers can participate by calling 1-877-KYW-3ASK (1-877-599-3275).  And, viewers can also donate $10 to the cause by texting JOY to 80888.  Also for the first time, there will be two remote toy collection sites featuring a dispatched Salvation Army truck at the Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa locations at Concordville Town Centre in Glen Mills, PA and the Hartford Corners Shopping Center in Delran, NJ.

There will also be various fundraising incentives during the on-air fundraiser such as tickets to the Pennsylvania Ballet’s Nutcracker, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Blue Cross River Rink at Penn’s Landing, the National Constitution Center, the Franklin Institute, the Please Touch Museum, the Eastern State Penitentiary and Longwood Gardens.  Additional items include packages featuring the Philadelphia Eagles, the Philadelphia Flyers, the Philadelphia Phillies and the Philadelphia Sixers.  Other offers include a Radio Flyer Wagon, 32” LCD TV, a complimentary package from the Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia and Herr’s chips for a year.

Proceeds from the fundraiser will enable The Salvation Army to not only provide new toys and food for needy families during the holidays, but support such programs as emergency shelters, child development programs, substance abuse programs, transitional housing and other forms of support on which so many depend. 

For more information on Joy of Sharing and a complete list of drop-off locations, go to www.cbsphilly.com or call 215-977-JOYS. 

CBS 3 and The CW Philly acknowledge the support of their partners in this campaign: Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa, Herr’s, Ashley Furniture Home Store, The Blue Cross River Rink at Penn’s Landing and The Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia.

CBS 3 (KYW-TV) and The CW Philly (WPSG-TV) are part of CBS Television Stations, a division of CBS Corporation. KYW Newsradio 1060, 98.1 WOGL, SportsRadio 94 WIP, SportsRadio 610 WIP and Talk Radio 1210AM WPHT are CBS RADIO stations. 

Franchisee Profile: Greg Shishko

Franchisee Since: 2008
Franchise Location: Kennett Sq, PA; Regional Developer for Pennsylvania and Delaware


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How Greg Shishko Got Started With Hand & Stone…

With recessions come obstacles, and opportunities. Such was the case for Greg Shishko, Hand & Stone’s Regional Developer for Pennsylvania and Delaware. Greg had a long career, 30 years in fact, in the banking industry. He served as Chief Financial Officer of multiple businesses with several different corporations, most recently serving as CFO of Bank of America’s U.S. Credit Card and Consumer Lending businesses. Then, in 2007, we hit a bump, the economy went south and so did the banking industry, but, Greg was ready for the challenge the new economic environment presented. He looked forward to working for himself and not being involved in the corporate rat race any longer. He began searching out independent business opportunities such as car washes or laundromats, but nothing seemed to be just right until he was introduced to the booming industry of health and wellness and a fresh concept to the Pennsylvania and Delaware region called Hand & Stone.

In 2008, Greg was on his way to his next career adventure, signing on as Hand & Stone’s Regional Developer for Pennsylvania and Delaware. He would be responsible for introducing franchise prospects to Hand & Stone in his regions. First, he opened his own location in Kenneth Square, PA to build up Hand & Stone’s brand awareness and introduce consumers to a completely new spa experience – one that was easily accessible and more affordable than typical day spas. This year, his own spa is experiencing a 50% sales increase over last year!

In addition to Greg’s Kennett Square spa, and the second Hand & Stone spa which opened in Glen Mills in Dec 2009, two more Hand & Stone locations will open in: Broomall, PA, and Doylestown, PA in early September.

What Intrigued Greg Shishko about Hand & Stone…

Greg was attracted by the growth in the popularity of massage across all age groups, and the increasing recognition of the benefits of massage by the medical and insurance communities. Greg also valued the flexibility that the Hand & Stone corporate team gave to its franchisees and Regional Developers. The corporate team welcomes franchisees input; in fact many of the franchisees suggestions have been incorporated into the business. Also, Hand & Stone is based almost immediately in Greg’s backyard, which makes it convenient for him to quickly and easily communicate with the corporate team and simplifies travel and training for franchisees.

On the consumer side, Greg was impressed by the abundance of services offered at Hand & Stone. The competition only offers massage, but Hand & Stone takes it two steps further with facial treatments and waxing services. The franchise also looks to expand their service line when it makes sense.

Community Involvement…

Greg recognizes that the best way to gain clientele is by being committed to the local community and he is! Greg and his team sponsor local high school sports teams, participate in community events like the town’s festivals and concert events, and donate generously to local charities. His location also offers classes at the spa in massage and aesthetics for the Chester County Night School and provides internship opportunities through Pathstones, a private, not-for-profit regional community development and human service organization providing services to farm workers and low-income families; and the list goes on and on.

Something Interesting About Greg Shishko’s Story…

Greg is married and has four college-aged children. All of his children are attending or have attended Penn State. His two oldest work at Bank of America, following in their father’s footsteps – for now. His 18 year old son and 20-year-old daughter are still in school, and his daughter is managing his spa in Kennett Square while majoring in communication and working toward graduation in December.

Where specifically did Greg Shishko learn about Hand & Stone?

When Greg was looking for independent business opportunities, he looked into a variety of different concepts. As part of his search, he began working with a franchise broker who introduced him to Massage Heights at first. He had actually attended Massage Height’s discovery day, but while there, his wife convinced him to call John Marco, founder of Hand & Stone. Because Hand & Stone seemed more flexible with its franchisees and was located closer to him, he went with Hand & Stone.