"Juno"'s Hollywood composer now into politics

Mateo Messina's Healthcare Plan Will Not Tax Americans And Benefits Children

(quoting from Ray Costa Communications' press release)


With Obama's health care plan dominating the headlines, a less controversial plan has been exercised by a non-politician. Hollywood film composer Mateo Messina (“Juno”) has spent over a decade developing a plan that does not dig into the pockets of the tax payers, however benefits many ill children. To understand Messina's plan, no one will have to open a multi-hundred page document, but what you will need to open is your heart. Messina’s plan is private donations in exchange for live concerts that have already raised over a million dollars for Seattle Children’s Hospital.



It all began over a decade ago when one of Messina's best friends lost their daughter to a brain tumor. It was then that Messina began what has become his life's mission. Messina started off visiting the children and spending quality time with them in the hospital, playing music with them. At this point, the Grammy-winning composer realized that he had more to offer. Messina began putting on concerts with all the proceeds benefiting Seattle Children’s Hospital. Messina is backed by a workforce of heroes, known as the Symphony Guild, who are dedicated to enriching the lives of the children at the hospital. Each year Messina has been joined onstage by several well known musicians/heroes, including, Alice and Chains, Heart, the Wilson Sisters and many more.



With the news being saturated with so many stories that bring us down, make us not trust one another, create fear in our hearts and our minds, we propose that you run a feature that will inspire and dig deep into the souls of your audience. Mateo Messina is no different than you or me; however he has become a hero to many children, their families and the community. Last year Messina's concert raised over $200,000 for Seattle Children’s Hospital, and with your help hopefully we will be able to beat last year's success and spread the program to other hospitals. Mateo Messina is an everyday person; however to many people he has risen to hero status. On November 6th he will present a “Symphony of the Superhero,” taking the hero status off of him and putting it on the children who live each day rising above and defeating fears that many of us have never known. Over 60 children will join Messina onstage for the live concert.



melissa@costacomm.com
Costa Communication
www.costacomm.com




FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



JUNO COMPOSER MATEO MESSINA’S



HEALTHCARE PLAN WILL NOT TAX AMERICANS

AND BENEFITS CHILDREN



Mateo Messina Presents a “Symphony of the Superhero”

Proceeds Benefit Seattle Children’s Hospital



Friday, November 6 at 7:00pm in Benroya Hall, Downtown Seattle



(Seattle, WA) – Grammy Award-winning composer, and founder/chair of The Symphony Guild, Mateo Messina, along with DJ Cut Chemist, violinist Lili Haydn, NW Symphony Orchestra, NW Chorale, Bells of the Sound, NW Boychoir, Batucada Brazilian Collective, John Curley and more join together to create “Symphony of the Superhero.” The benefit concert will be held on Friday, November 6 at Benaroya Hall in downtown Seattle (200 University St). Cocktails and a silent auction will take place at 7:00pm, followed by the concert beginning at 8:00pm. Tickets are available at: http://www.thesymphonyguild.org or by phone at: 1.800.838.3006. Proceeds from this concert benefit uncompensated care of Seattle Children’s Hospital.



Although he has not attained the mythical proportions of a Greek or Roman god, and is not “faster than a speeding bullet,” “Juno” composer (and Seattle native) Mateo Messina, is, in his own way, a superhero. He would be embarrassed to be labeled in such a way, but to the children whose lives he has changed through music at Seattle Children’s Hospital, he has a power greater than that of most mortals. For more than a decade, Messina has written a new symphony every year, which he performs at Benaroya Hall to raise money for families with children in the hospital.



Messina’s connection with the hospital began when the daughter of a friend passed away from a brain tumor. Not long after, in 1997, he started playing the piano in the hospital’s playroom. While there, several children joined in on piano duets and sang along. Messina returned the next week. And the next. And the week after that. He began writing checks from the proceeds of his concerts to help raise money for the hospital. He formalized his contributions five years later, creating The Symphony Guild. The Symphony Guild has since raised money for Uncompensated Care at Seattle Children’s Hospital. It allows families in need of assistance to get care for their hospitalized children, whether they are insured or not. Last year, his concert raised nearly $200,000. The funds raised each year places the Symphony Guild on the “Top 25 Fundraising Guilds” list at the hospital. Although Messina's music career has taken him to Hollywood California, he continues to play for the children during his monthly visits to his hometown of Seattle.

Seattle Children’s Hospital is ranked as one of the best children's hospitals in the country by U.S. News & World Report magazine, Children’s serves as the pediatric referral center for Washington, Alaska, Montana and Idaho. Children’s is a private nonprofit providing excellent patient care with compassion and respect, and conducting cutting-edge pediatric research. Since they opened their doors in 1907, they have maintained their founding promise: to provide needed medical care to all children in their four-state region – regardless of a family's ability to pay. The need for such uncompensated care has risen dramatically in recent years. In 2001, they provided $24.9 million in uncompensated care. In 2008, the sum topped $86 million, and they expect to provide more than $100 million in uncompensated care in 2009 to families in need and to cover Medicaid payment shortfalls. For more info on Seattle Children’s Hospital please visit www.seattlechildrens.org.