Riley Children’s Foundation + Pence Media Group
Riley Children’s Foundation, the nonprofit arm of Riley Children’s Health, engaged Pence Media Group (PMG) to support its fourth annual Red For Our Kids Gala, an event that supports the foundation’s $300 million Every Child Deserves Riley comprehensive campaign launched in 2025. The event celebrates Riley Children’s patients and their families, while shining a light on the renowned care team and innovative treatments being used to save kids’ lives every day. Every Child Deserves Riley, the Foundation’s most ambitious initiative in Riley Children’s history, is a bold commitment to transform lives and create a healthier future for children and families across Indiana and beyond.
Working alongside the Riley Children’s Foundation team, PMG developed a multi-pronged approach to support the gala for the second time and to continue a steady drumbeat of public awareness about the campaign through on-site social media and emcee support, and public relations.
Social Media Management + Execution
PMG served as an extension of Riley Children’s Foundation’s social media team by providing on-site content capturing and sharing throughout the event on Riley Children’s Foundation’s social media channels. Advanced preparation, content planning, and a deep understanding of the look and feel of this account led to massive success across the platform, garnering widespread attention before, during and after this pivotal event to drive awareness to the mission itself as well as the silent auction.
Starting the day of the event and concluding the next day, PMG created and posted 70 stories, two reels and three static/carousel posts sharing engaging and exciting content from the gala, capturing the event’s essence and energy, and tagging relevant accounts to amplify the reach of the content. PMG also created a highlight tile so audiences could revisit the stories and relive the night after the event. Posts also encouraged viewers to learn more about the campaign, bid on auction items, and donate.
The two reels and two static posts combined garnered more than 123,000 views, while the 70 stories captured more than 206,000 views. The Red For Our Kids Gala recap reel alone was viewed more than 5,000 times. These insights were documented in a detailed 20-page analytics report delivered by PMG, which extracted key metrics from each individual post and story shared and provided context around influencer-shared content that contributed to spikes in reach. PMG leveraged our learnings from last year to take this year’s posts and stories even further, leading to a 43.6% increase in reel and static post views, a 110% increase in story views, and a 190% increase in story interactions year over year.
This major responsibility was only possible through an established partnership and trust between PMG and Riley Children’s Foundation, and PMG was honored to tell these stories.
Public Relations
Through thoughtful planning, strategic timing, and impactful story angles, PMG secured meaningful local media placements for the event as well, both on digital and broadcast platforms.
PMG’s media outreach before and after the event captured the mission of the event and the campaign it supports, focusing on the five priority areas identified by Riley Children’s Foundation:
- Respond to the Youth Mental Health Crisis
- Recruit and Retain the Best and Brightest
- Pioneer Research Advancements
- Expand Access to Riley Expertise
- Support the Entire Family
Since the campaign launch in 2025, PMG has continued to support Riley Children’s Foundation’s public relations efforts, weaving in storylines through robust statewide media outreach to support these focus areas and elevate impactful stories to showcase why every child deserves Riley.
On-Site Event Support: Emcee Services
PMG owner + CEO and proud Riley mom, Nicole Pence Becker, served as the Red For Our Kids Gala emcee for the second year in a row. Nicole enthusiastically took on a new role as the event’s “roving reporter,” conducting interviews throughout the evening in different locations in the event space with Riley leaders, patients, and attendees to provide a lively, interactive, and impactful experience for all attendees!
Nicole’s role in this event is an example of PMG’s Make It Memorable Hosting + Moderating package, designed to create meaningful conversations and extend their impact far beyond the room. From pre-event alignment and on-stage moderation to post-event storytelling, PMG ensures every conversation is intentional, engaging, and aligned with your goals. The result is more than a well-run event–t’s a connected experience that resonates with audiences, strengthens relationships, and elevates your message in the moments that matter most.
#Consideritdone with PMG in 2026
We’re honored to accompany our amazing clients in their successes. With expertise in branding, web, digital, content creation, and public relations, Pence Media Group would be honored to partner with your business to elevate your brand! Consider it done.
With more than a decade of experience in strategic communications, Claire brings her expertise in reputation management, media relations, marketing, writing and storytelling to PMG, where she elevates clients’ messages to cut through the noise and reach the right people at the right time.
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