(February 4th, 2021) – Hundreds of individuals joined United Way of Southern Kentucky (UWSK) for the LIVE UNITED Awards and Annual Meeting, virtually, on Thursday, February 4th from 12pm-12:45 pm CST.
The event served to recognize the achievements of organizations that went above and beyond to meet community needs and furthered the mission of United Way of Southern Kentucky in 2020. Steve Thurmond, United Way of Southern Kentucky Board Member and Executive Director for the Franklin-Simpson Chamber of Commerce, emceed the event as United Way of Southern Kentucky presented the following awards to organizations for their support in 2020:
TOP 10 CAMPAIGNS
For overall corporate and employee giving in 2020:
- BKD, LLP
- J.M. Smucker Company
- Georgia-Pacific Dixie
- Warren RECC
- Trace Die Cast
- U.S. Bank Area Wide
- The Murphy Construction Group
- General Motors & UAW Local 2164
- Fruit of the Loom, Inc.
- Logan Aluminum
Logan Aluminum simultaneously received a Milestone Giving Award. The award was presented to them for being the first company whose employee and corporate gifts totaled $400,000 in one year.
The second group of awards presented were the Community Impact Partnership Awards. The awards recognized organizations who partnered with UWSK to meet the needs of tens of thousands of individuals, during an unprecedented year. Each organization was instrumental in meeting the urgent food needs in the community, distributing more than 1,245,000 pounds of food since last March:
- Bowling Green Parks and Recreation
- Feeding America Kentucky’s Heartland
- Warren County Parks and Recreation
Next, United Way of Southern Kentucky presented the Shooting Star Award. The Shooting Star Award winner was chosen from applications submitted by United Way partner programs on behalf of clients who had exemplified courage and tenacity in overcoming obstacles and has used United Way services to build a better life. This year’s Shooting Star Award was awarded to:
- Heather Beadnell, who was nominated by Life Choice Pregnancy Center.
Finalists for the premier award of the year, the LIVE UNITED Award, were presented via video throughout the event. This award is presented to the company that exemplifies United Way’s core Give, Advocate and Volunteer goals through outstanding campaign support including increased giving, high participation and per capita, advocating internally and externally on behalf of United Way throughout the year, and exceptional volunteer participation from a large base of employees. Special consideration was given to those organizations with specific support to United Way’s work in Education, Income, Health, and/or Safety Net.
The top three finalists for the LIVE UNITED Award included: 3A Composites, The Murphy Construction Group, and Hill’s Pet Nutrition. Following the recognition of the three finalists, the Live United Award was presented to:
- The Murphy Construction Group
Debbie Hills, President and CEO for United Way of Southern Kentucky, said, “Today’s celebration is different than any we have had before, however the reason behind it is still the same. We are honored to recognize the accomplishments of these organizations. They are all helping support immediate and long-term community needs in our priority focus areas of Education, Income, Health and Safety Net. Undoubtedly, thousands of lives will be impacted through that work which is made possible by the combined generosity of those honored today, as well as hundreds of other individuals and organizations that support our endeavors.”
For more information on how you can LIVE UNITED by giving, advocating, and volunteering with United Way of Southern Kentucky, visit www.LIVEUNITEDToday.com or call 270-843-3205.
United Way of Southern Kentucky (UWSK) is a local, independent, non-profit organization that works to identify and address the issues that matter most, change conditions and improve lives. The mission of United Way of Southern Kentucky is to be the leader in bringing together the resources to build a stronger, more caring community. United Way is focused on the building blocks for good quality of life – Education, Income, Health and Safety Net. Therefore, the vision of United Way is a Southern Kentucky where all residents are educated, healthy, and financially stable. Incorporated as a charitable non-profit entity in 1956, UWSK has long served a major role in the community by bringing people together to create opportunities that make a measurable difference in the quality of life for people where they live and work. ###
