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If you read our front page first this weekend, you've already seen the news that the Weirton United Way – for years considered the largest charitable organization in the community – soon will dissolve.
While it is good to see the United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley has agreed to take on fundraising work in Hancock County (they've already been working in Brooke County for years), it also is a sad time for those who have been a part of the Weirton United Way's history, and especially for those who have benefited from its work.
In the more recent years, the Weirton United Way supported 12 member agencies: the American Red Cross; Catholic Charities West Virginia; the Community Bread Basket; Dunbar Recreation Center; Healthways Inc.; Hancock County Sheltered Workshop; Hancock/Brooke/Ohio/Marshall RSVP; Hancock County 4-H Foundation; Mary H. Weir Public Library; Salvation Army of Hancock and Brooke Counties; Weirton Medical Center and Weirton Christian Center.
According to the announcement from the board, there will be funding provided to those agencies to help out until the Upper Ohio Valley group's application process begins. I'm sure it doesn't take the sting away, though.
There will be changes as part of this transition; changes in the funding availability, changes in the way money is raised including the types of events, and probably changes in the relationship with Weirton itself. Only time will tell.
If we're all being honest with ourselves, though, none of this is a surprise. There has not been an executive director in Weirton for more than a year, and, even before COVID, it was getting increasingly difficult to reach the annual campaign goal. As with anything else, getting volunteers to help out often became an obstacle.
The final major fundraising event for the Weirton United Way was the Turkey Trot held in November 2022. It saw more than 100 participants, some dressed in Thanksgiving-inspired costume, making their way through the streets of Marland Heights for a series of races. There also was a collection of non-perishable food to benefit the Community Bread Basket and the Salvation Army.
It's final – and 40th – Golf Classic (at one point, the organization's biggest fundraiser) was held July 2022 with only 15 teams hitting the course at Williams Golf and Country Club.
In previous years, the Weirton United Way held two golf events per year. Those were the standbys; the constants. They were joined by a rotating mix of fundraisers, including motorcycle poker runs, 5K races, fashion shows, wellness walks and free-dress days at the various schools in Weirton, "flocking" local residents and businesses with plastic flamingos, a 3-on-3 basketball tournament, gift card drawings, a "Chicken Plunge" at Starvaggi Pool and, of course, the annual tailgate party prior to the NFL's "Big Game," which often helped to put the campaign past the goal line.
The organization was an active component of the Weirton community which often pulled us together. As they said, their efforts showed how Weirton could "Live United," and Weirton rallied each year, even when it became the most difficult. The people and businesses of Weirton have always understood how important the United Way's work is for the community. To me, it's because, even if we don't always realize it, most of us have benefited from the work in some way in our lives.
Have you ever used the services of the Mary H. Weir Public Library? Did you attend the pre-school program offered by the Weirton Christian Center? I've done both. I also was active in Boy Scouts in my youth. At one point, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and Campfire all received funding from the United Way.
Personally, I've also built an uncountable number of friendships and business relationships through this organization, whether it was through my news coverage of their activities or as a very minor member of the campaign team.
I know I"m not the only one, and I'm sure many in the community will be thinking back on a slew of United Way memories in the days ahead.
It is a sad time to see this chapter come to an end. However, as a new chapter begins, we can take solace knowing there will still be a United Way to serve our area, reminding us to come together as a community and continue supporting each other.
(Howell, a resident of Colliers, is managing editor of The Weirton Daily Times, and can be contacted at chowell@weirtondailytimes.com or followed on Twitter @CHowellWDT)