June 16, 2010
06/16/10
Just because you’re 50 doesn’t mean you can’t have a good time… At least that’s the attitude of the Marshall County United Way as it prepares to kick off its historic 50th campaign. A year of celebration for all residents of the county is on tap as the campaign seeks to meet its goal of $400,000.
“You only turn 50 once, so you have to take advantage of it,” said Jennifer Maddox, executive director of the United Way of Marshall County. “We really want people to come out and celebrate with us this year, and we’re very excited to have the events that we have. We’ve kept our prices in a range that the community can afford, and we hope they’ll take advantage of coming out to help us celebrate 50 years.”
Many community organizations have partnered with the United Way in order to bring several key events to the public beginning with the Sunday, August 1st kickoff at Potawatomi Park from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. The event will be a wine and cheese tasting affair with a very special twist of hot air balloons in keeping with the theme of a campaign “launch.”
United Way President Jim Wagner and wife Susan will preside over the occasion along with this year’s campaign chairperson Melissa Owen. The cost of the event is $10 a person that will help kick off the fundraising for this year’s campaign. Music for the event has been donated by Jason Nichols of Attitude Entertainment.
The campaign will officially celebrate its 50 years of involvement with the community with an anniversary party Saturday, September 11th at Swan Lake Resort in Plymouth from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. The date marks the official incorporation of United Way in 1960.
The program for the evening will focus on a celebration of the history of United Way through the decades with a 50th anniversary video prepared by Pilot News Managing Editor Maggie Nixon and PHS graduating senior Austin Craft, focusing on past United Way campaign chairs, and other history assisted by the Marshall County Historical Society.
“Mike Lintner will be our Master of Ceremonies because he missed a meeting,” said Maddox with a laugh. “We’ve had a suggestion that he dress the way he did in each of the decades we honor as the program goes on, so we’ll see if we can make that happen.”
The dinner will honor those who’ve played a key role in the United Way over its 50 year history.
Cost of the dinner is $50 a person, once again helping the cause of meeting the year’s campaign goal.
The United Way annual meeting will be a party for the whole community as Plymouth High School’s own Denver Bierman and the Mile High Orchestra will play a special concert in the school’s auditorium as part of the event April 12.
Bierman and his band have toured the world with their special brand of pop-influenced swing and have recently returned from a tour of Russia. The band was a finalist on Fox’s reality series “The Next Great American Band.”
“We are so excited to be partnering with Encore on this event,” said Maddox. “They have such a great knowledge of just how to have this type of event and it’s great to be able to offer this to the community.”
The United Way annual meeting will take place before the concert and there will be a special community reception afterward at Plymouth High School. Cost for the evening will be just $10.
Tickets for all events can be purchased at the United Way office, for the annual meeting/concert tickets can also be purchased through Encore Performing Arts. You can get more information on the celebration events by calling the United Way office at 574-936-3366 or stay up to date by visiting the website at http://www.marshallcountyuw.org/