From the April 30, 2026, issue of the Memorial Business Journal

A profession that so often serves quietly stepped into the spotlight on April 23. Deathcare professionals from across the country were honored in Times Square through “The First Call,” a national recognition campaign created to spotlight funeral directors and the care they provide families every day.

More than 150 funeral professionals, family members, friends and supporters gathered in New York City for the live viewing. The event’s livestream reached more than 18,000 viewers, and participant social posts quickly generated tens of thousands of additional views.

Created by Chptr in partnership with NFDA, Tribute Technology and Homesteaders Life Company, the campaign was designed to bring public attention to the people who guide families through life’s hardest moments with compassion, steadiness and care.

For one evening, the people who answer the “first call” were broadcast in one of the most visible places in the world.

“The energy in Times Square was something I’ll never forget,” said Rehan Choudhry, founder and CEO of Chptr. “You could feel the pride, the emotion and the sense that this profession was finally being recognized in a way it rarely is. It meant a lot to all of us.”

For participants, the night represented something more than personal recognition. Some shared ref lections on the pride they felt seeing their colleagues recognized in such a public way.

“It’s hard to put into words what we experienced that night,” said Lindsay Granson, chief operating officer at Heritage Family. “Watching funeral directors from around the country be honored in Times Square was incredible. This profession is one of the most important and often overlooked, and that night was all about them.”

The livestream replay remains available on Chptr’s Facebook page, and event highlights continue to be shared across social media with #TheFirstCall.  

With the Times Square launch complete, Chptr will now expand “The First Call” nationally in partnership with hundreds of local television and radio stations. Additional campaign updates, participation opportunities and event highlights are available at Chptr.com/TheFirstCall.  

In this next phase, participants will receive media and community outreach resources, including local press materials, photos, video assets and storytelling tools designed to extend the recognition into communities nationwide. The initiative is intended to help families and communities better understand the depth of care funeral professionals provide every day.