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United Way exceeds goal
Published March 6, 2010
United Way of Marshall County exceeded its 2009-2010 fundraising goal of $650,000 by ending with a final tally of $671,140, according to campaign chairman Steve Marshall.
The United Way gave its 2010 annual report Thursday during a luncheon at Guntersville Senior Center.
“If there is anything I learned this year from going out to different campaigns and work places is that folks are generally willing to give their resources,” Marshall said.
Marshall gave credit to the organization’s program heads and various United Way directors for getting out and telling people exactly what the organization is doing.
Marshall recalled some of the events and emotions he experienced throughout this year’s campaign.
He said everything he had been working on over the past several months really hit home with him about two weeks ago.
“We had the last campaign this year at the Alatrade plant,” Marshall said.
“And, it just so happened with the timing of it, that we were preparing for a murder trial we had last week in Albertville.
“And, as you can imagine, in preparation for a case like that, we were seeing the worst of the worst and literally that morning, before I went to the Alatrade plant, I’m looking at a picture of a woman I’ve never met who had injuries that none of you would ever want to see.
“She died over a rock of crack cocaine.”
Marshall called it a senseless death and a senseless murder, and said all of this led to the mindset he was in when he went to the plant that day.
“Part of what God blessed me to do with my job was to truly deal with the worst of the worst of society, and frankly, there are many days in this job that I somewhat question humanity,” he said.
“But yet, as I walked somewhat depressed to the Alatrade plant, we saw three different groups of employees, 20 to 30 at a time, people I had never met before.”
He said he started talking to these groups and tried to explain to them what goes on at the United Way and he told them stories of how different agencies had helped people.
“As you tell those stories and you see people’s faces, then you recognize the absolute generosity of the people of Marshall County,” Marshall said.
He said after he left the plant, he had forgotten about the murder case or the pictures he had seen that day.
“I was truly thinking about what a joy it is to be able to reach out to people in this community and talk passionately about how it is the United Way is helping people,” Marshall said.
Judy Miller, 2010 president of the United Way Board, said Marshall agreed to be the campaign chairman for the 2010-2011 campaign.
Miller said it’s a good idea to have someone do it back to back because it provides continuity in the position.
“Steve has such a contagious and articulate way of conveying his belief and passion for the United Way, and people respond to that,” Miller said.
Top contributors for United Way of Marshall County
• Marshall Medical Centers
• Paragon Decors Inc.
• Mueller
• Combined Federal
• Mitchell Grocery
• Federal Mogul
• Citizens Bank & Trust
• Regions Bank
• UPS
• Pilgrims Pride
• Parker-Hannifin
• Peoples
Independent Bank
• Marshall County Schools
• Superior Bank
• Arab City Schools
• Guntersville City Schools
• Progress Rail
Services
• Albertville City Schools
• MDA/Benefits
Professionals
• BancorpSouth
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