Spokane man spreads love through billboards, including one in Pittsburgh
Updated: Nov 20, 2018
John Pogachar's message is extending far beyond Spokane, too. On Tuesday, one of his billboards went up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in response to a shooting at The Tree of Life synagogue.
Author: Megan Carroll
Published: 12:33 PM PST November 7, 2018
Updated: 12:43 PM PST November 7, 2018
Site: K5 News
John Pogachar is a health and life coach who is choosing to spread a simple yet profoundly moving message.
Pogachar, who lives in Spokane, has already erected three billboards in the city with the word “love” in capital white letters on a simple red background. Two more are set to go up soon.
“The elections were going on about three years ago and I kept going, ‘Where is all the love in the world?' And it was just beyond me,’” Pogachar said.
Pogachar’s message is extending far beyond Spokane, too. On Tuesday, one of his billboards went up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in response to a shooting at The Tree of Life synagogue that left 11 people dead.
“I thought, ‘I need to fill somebody’s heart.’ I need to fill a hole in Pittsburgh because it seems like that city was hurting so much just like a lot of cities in the United States are from things going on,” Pogachar added.
The project, called Love on Every Billboard, was inspired by a coaching conference call with 50 other people across the nation that he takes every morning, and two weeks camping in Kings Canyon National Park during a retreat in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Pogachar then decided to pursue help from an advertising company and asked Nick Lewis, owner of Kingsley & Scout clothing store in Spokane, to help him design a logo.
Each one of the billboards costs $950 each. Pogachar said he receives funding from friends and people on his daily coaching calls. Those interested in donating can also do so on the Love on Every Billboard website or by emailing Pogachar at loveoneverybillboard@gmail.com.
“Can you even imagine? Can you feel what it would be like to no longer be bombarded by advertising, manipulation and sales tactics, and instead be surrounded by messages that reflect back to you the most important things in life?” the Love on Every Billboard site reads.
The first two billboards – located at Market Street and Francis Avenue and Marietta Avenue and Hamilton Street – were erected Monday. Two more billboards will go up this week at Dishman Mica Road and Eighth Avenue and Cleveland Avenue and Monroe Street.
“I decided to let go of the judgment and start doing things that I want to do for the world,” he said.
His end goal is to erect billboards throughout the U.S. in places where shootings, natural disasters or other tragedies occur. But the billboards are also meant to show that acts of love and kindness can be simple – like paying for someone’s coffee or parking – and that love should be extended to everyone, Pogachar said.
Pogachar said he has already received support and positive feedback from many Spokane community members in response to the billboards.
Read full article here.
Get Involved:
Contact John at info@loveoneverybillboard.com for more information and find out how to fund a billboard in your area.