There was no red carpet last night. No rope line of photographers. No over-sized statues of little gold men. There was simply a gathering of people celebrating an achievement and reflecting on a job well done… but there were awards.

Several months ago we sat down in a board room with two phenomenal women from Mission Hospitals in Asheville, NC. The two were Robin Jones and Debbie Sprouse. Robin is the head nurse for Mission Hospitals’ stroke program, and Debbie works for Mission Healthcare Foundation, the hospital’s fundraising division.

But this story really began over two years ago with a man named “Big Tom” Israel. Big Tom was a man who loved life, loved his family, loved the outdoors, and loved golf. Tragically, Big Tom died of a stroke in June of 2005. The team at Mission did everything they could for the father, husband, and soon-to-be grandfather, but in the end it was not enough. The family was heartbroken, and sons Tom and Will were angered, shocked and saddened by their father’s sudden passing. Big Tom was a vigorous and healthy man, and he was gone.

Tom and Will had to take action. In the period following their father’s death, the brothers met with the doctors and nurses of Mission’s Neuroscience program. They wanted a way to honor their father, and also raise money and awareness for stroke treatment and prevention in North Carolina. The Big Tom Classic was born out of an overwhelming desire to make a difference. An annual golf tournament and silent auction, the Big Tom Classic is now entering its third year, and its proceeds are changing lives.

As we sat in the board room with Robin and Debbie, it was clear that they had a message they needed to convey. At this point they had teamed with Will and Tom and committed their time, energy and resources to getting the word out about stroke. Western North Carolina is located in the “stroke belt.” They wanted to create a video that would speak directly to the people of their area. The video needed to educate the public about stroke, alert them to the warning signs of stroke, tell them how to take action, and inform them of the process a patient goes through at Mission.

After working with Tom and Will Israel on a promotional video for the Big Tom Classic, we began work with Mission to research stroke and deliver a script to aid the people of Western North Carolina. Soon our cameras were rolling in the hallways of Mission, in the labs, in ambulances, and in the emergency room. We conducted interviews with doctors, nurses, EMT’s, therapists and survivors to tell the story of stroke in our area.

After all of the hard work put forth by the Mission team, the Israel brothers, and our own crew, the final DVD is a resounding success. Last night, everyone who had a hand in furthering the success of the Mission Neurosciences program gathered at the hospital for a celebration. Mission Hospitals was named as a Joint Commission Certified Primary Stroke Center, and is quickly becoming one of the leading stroke hospitals in the Southeast. After reuniting with everyone who worked so hard to make this program a success, we gathered to watch the video that is now out there changing lives. It even wound up on the governor’s desk in California.

After the viewing, Robin took the podium and announced that in the spirit of the upcoming Oscar season, she had put together some awards for those who aided in making the project a success. The trophies were recycled from her daughter’s glory days of dance recitals, and the categories were ones you probably won’t hear announced at the Kodak Theatre in January. But we will be forever honored to have received the evening’s award for Best Production Crew. Whatever accolades may lie in store for us, you’ll be sure to find that little dance trophy sitting in a place of honor here at Bclip Productions.