In the news world, covering ribbon cuttings is one of the pains of the profession. When you’ve reported on one, you’ve reported on them all. The setting usually entails an outside environment, throngs of people, a giant pair of scissors, and clapping. Lots of clapping.
We know this backdrop well. The Spiracle Media team is made up of reformed reporters. We’ve all covered our fair share of ribbon cuttings. As blasé as I’m making it seem, the ribbon cutting last month was anything but typical.
Sergeant Drew Mullee lost a leg more than a year ago when an IED exploded while on patrol in southeast Asia. Our good friends at Patriot Charities worked around the clock for months building a new abode to give to Mullee and his family. Their new digs are adorned with flat screen TVs, furniture, and no price tag.
When the ribbon was cut and keys were passed on to Mullee, the clapping seemed on beat with the camera shutters capturing the commotion. Somewhere lost in the lenses was our Sigma 18-250.
Even though we were working for Patriot Charities that afternoon, we had to play nice with the 6 other media outlets covering the ceremony. In typical Spiracle Media fashion, we helped organize the malay. We asked all the questions, helped guide the family through the home for the first time, and got to the root of the story. All our news experience seemed to pay off.
In the end, our video shows the event for what it was. It also shows the joy of receiving such a large gift.
We feel so fortunate to live in a country and community where heroes like Mullee can be appreciated. We’re also overwhelmed with the selfless contributions our business partners regularly make.
