What: United Way's Evening of Philanthropy
When: Saturday, March 9, 2019
Where: Starr Theater & Pavillion

               215 S. Main St.

               Hannibal, MO 63401
Details: Doors Open 5:30p
              Dinner Served at 6:30p

              Program at 7:00p

              Dancing to follow with music by Steppin’ Back

Tickets: Call the United Way 573-221-2761 to purchase yours or order them online below.
Why:
At the United Way of the Mark Twain Area, it is our mission to, "Increase the capacity of people to care for one another."

By doing this, we hope to see our vision for the community come to life, "All individuals empowered to achieve their potential through education, financial stability, and health lives." 

There are individuals who exemplify the values of the United Way. The United Way's Evening of Philanthropy will honor four individuals who live out the mission and are helping make the vision for our community come to life. 

• Life-Long Philanthropist: The Late Ralph Griesbaum
  Food banks have historically been short when it comes to donations of meat. When Ralph Griesbaum was presented with an idea to take care of this problem, in true fashion, he made it happen. Ralph helped coordinate and fund Project Protein which purchased pigs at a discounted rate, processed and packaged the meat, and distributed it to local food banks. Through his efforts this pumped over 350,000 pounds of meat into food banks in Palmyra, Canton, Ewing, and Hannibal. He personally raised nearly $20,000 for the program. His efforts in this program provided more than 1.4 million protein rich meals to local families in need.
• Philanthropic Couple: Kevin and Denice Blew
  Some say being a parent is the hardest job a person will ever have. Kevin and Denice Blew take parenting to an entirely different level through their work as homeparents at Shiloh Christian Children's Ranch. The two have parented over 100 children in the course of 35 years who were victims of abuse and neglect. Many of the children they have parented were given up on and had many life struggles. Now many of these 100+ children are working adults who benefit society because of the effort the couple put into their lives. Many of the kids visit the Blews with their children who call Kevin and Denice Grandma and Grandpa. The couple has ensured that children are empowered to achieve their potential by learning real life skills, learning to believe in themselves, and having a family to count on. 
• Philanthropic Individual: Kate Dougherty
  When Kate Dougherty's son was born with Down Syndrome, she never imagined she would find her life’s passion. She sought to learn more to ensure her son would have what he needed to be successful in life. While at the National Down Syndrome Congress's National Convention, she was challenged to do something for individuals who have disabilities and don’t have someone doing all they can to ensure they can be successful. A month later Kate, her husband, and a group of friends founded Down Country, a non-profit that provides opportunities for individuals to attend national and international conferences on scholarship. At these conferences individuals learn best practices and bring them back to the tri-states to ensure individuals living life with disabilities in our community have what they need to succeed. 
• Philanthropic Youth: Robert Wealer
  While most 12 year old boys spend their time playing video games, watching TV, and are interested in sports Robert Wealer adds something else to what he cares about. A few years ago Robert, age 8 at the time, learned about individuals in the community not having enough to eat. He was going to do something about this problem. Since 2015 Robert has been hosting food drives in partnership with local businesses and organizations to collect over 27,000 food items. This food is then distributed to local food pantries to ensure individuals in our community have the basic necessities of life.