“Champions of Hope,” written, directed, and produced by Hammad Zaidi, was a National PSA made for the United Day of Service for the one-year anniversary of September 11. It played on all 5,001 Regal Cinema screens, network television, and major arenas like Staples Center in Los Angeles. The campaign encouraged 650,000-1,000,000 young Americans to engage in community service, making it one of the most significant youth movements in the history of the United States. Sponsored by Regal Entertainment Group, Verizon Communications, DisneyHand, MindArrow Systems, Weekly Reader Corporation, Youth Service America, National Center for Family Literacy, and Champions of Hope Foundation, “Champions of Hope” was also endorsed by the White House and the Points of Light Foundation.
Below are two September 11 related podcasts Hammad hosted. The first chronicles how he made the “Champions of Hope” PSA, and the second examines Hammad’s experience immediately after 9/11.