SUNY Oswego - Alumni Association

June 2010 • Vol 6 No 3

Secret Proposal Was Crafted for Martha Stewart Show

It’s kind of hard to say ‘yes’ when you’re speechless. Even trickier is pulling off a proposal on national television.

Benjamin Sloane ’05, Crystal Hanehan ’04 and Martha Stewart

Benjamin Sloane ’05 had the unlikely aid of Martha Stewart in asking for the hand of Crystal Hanehan ’04, who was making an appearance on the domestic diva’s daily television show in March. Sloane shocked Hanehan when he emerged from the studio audience to pop the question at the end of a segment.

He developed the plot during the weeks leading up to the show. Sloane found the producer’s contact info in Hanehan’s unattended e-mail inbox and set up the setup.

The actual idea of proposing was no surprise, though.

“We knew not long after we met that we wanted to get married,” said Hanehan, who met Sloane through mutual friends while attending Oswego. The pair moved to the Boston area shortly after graduating.

Many friends and family members were able to see such a prominently featured proposal.

“It was just really nice and heartwarming to have everyone congratulating us, we really didn’t even have to put the announcement in the paper,” said Hanehan, who was demonstrating how to make Easter bunnies from spun cotton on the show. The Oswego graphic design major makes and sells similar items through Vintage by Crystal.

Sloane is currently earning a master’s degree in social work at Simmons College.

The couple plan to get married in August 2011, but haven’t set a date yet.

— Shane M. Liebler

PHOTO CAPTION:
Benjamin Sloane ’05, left, made a surprise wedding proposal to Crystal Hanehan ’04 on the Martha Stewart Show in March. The two met as students at Oswego. (Photo courtesy of Nick D./The Martha Stewart Show)

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Who doesn’t want to save the world? Michael Kite ’02 does that for a living through World Wildlife Fund.

As marketing specialist for one of the world’s leading conservation organizations, Kite and his team of three work to raise more than $5 million each year. The majority of that money comes from licensing partnerships and promotions with the likes of Barnes & Noble, Gap, Hewlett-Packard, Dial and Coinstar.

Retail partnerships help WWF spread its message to the general public and raise funds for its conservation work around the globe. For example, Bank of America contributes $100 for every special Visa account opened and Nabisco is supporting WWF’s “Year of the Tiger” initiative with special packaging and a $100,000 donation. The new CVS Green Bag Tag program rewards reusable bag-toting customers, and generates five cents for WWF for each tag sold.

All support WWF’s mission of protecting the future of nature, down to the finest details, Kite said.

“We like to see that the product is made from recycled material and is recyclable itself, and somehow ties into our mission,” Kite said. The Green Bag Tag, for instance, is made from a corn-based material and features a 100 percent recycled silicone lanyard.

As a broadcasting major at Oswego, Kite got involved with WRVO-FM and WNYO-FM.

“I think it gave me a lot more confidence in talking to people,” he said. It was an important part of his early career in broadcast sales and remains an important piece in the message he “sells” today.

“The best part of my job is seeing a product in the store with the WWF logo after months of working with a company to launch it,” said Kite, who joined the organization in 2006. “It’s rewarding to give people a fun, unique way to protect our planet.”

— Shane M. Liebler