Stanley Cup, FairSTL & IndyCar: Looking Back on a Summer of Fun at CGPR
By Morgan Bretscher, CGPR Summer 2019 Intern
As my internship at Common Ground PR comes to a close, I am so grateful to be able to look back on a summer full of incredible opportunities. I came to this company fresh out of college and eager to learn everything about the world of public relations and am leaving with plenty of new knowledge, some fantastic memories and an amazing group of friends. These past few months have flown by, and now it’s time to apply the skills I’ve gained here toward the next step in my career.
To my excitement, the action started shortly after joining the team. Just a couple of weeks into my internship, the St. Louis Blues won the Stanley Cup, and Common Ground was tasked with coordinating media and posting live social media updates to the @GatewayArchSTL accounts during the parade and civic celebration, which took place at Gateway Arch National Park in downtown St. Louis. This gave me great experience with prepping last-minute content calendars, and allowed me to see first-hand how an event comes together. And getting to hang out just feet away from Blues players and the Stanley Cup was definitely a bonus!
With the excitement of the Blues victory still in the air, the CGPR team was back at the Gateway Arch grounds once again for Fair Saint Louis, where I helped post social media content throughout the three-day event. My favorite part of the weekend (and possibly the internship as a whole) came when Jenna and I got to ride along in a plane with the US Army Golden Knights and watch them parachute from 12,000 feet in the air down to the crowds below, all while snapping pictures for social – with the plane doors open. While slightly terrified at first, I came back to the ground feeling exhilarated and still tell everyone about it to this day.
And what better way to wrap up an internship full of exciting events than by helping out with an IndyCar race? After weeks of researching, monitoring the news and pitching local media, I attended the Bommarito 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway and watched the event come to life for thousands of racing fans. It’s safe to say I’m now a racing fan myself.
Jumping from each event made this summer fly by, and I am so grateful to have been given the opportunity to learn outside of the office just as much as inside. From sending out media alerts and pitches to writing blog posts and drafting content calendars, no two days here were the same. Everyone on the team taught me something unique, and I will forever hold on to all the wonderful memories made this summer at CGPR.