Thank you to everyone who helped to make event successful
(Letter to Editor, Clay County Progress, May 19, 2022)
I am writing to express thanks to the businesses and individuals who helped make the United
Way’s Easter Egg Hunt and Second Annual Rubber Ducky Race a fun-filled event for about
500 children. There were 3,000 eggs for the children to find, plus a large golden egg for each age group as a special prize with a big chocolate bunny and a $25 gift certificate donated by Walmart. There were 700 duckies in the race. The river was fast compared to last year’s race and the kayakers and canoeists deserve a special mention and thank you for meeting the challenge of gathering up all the duckies afterwards. Winners of the ducky race were:
First prize $300 - Jodie Denney.
Second prize $150 – Lucia Aft.
Third Prize $100 – Laura Hays.
Proceeds of the event will go to the 14 partner agencies that the United Way helps support
with the contributions it receives and funds it raises. They are the Cherokee County Food Bank; Cherokee County Sharing Center; Clay County Food Pantry; Matt’s Ministry Food Pantry; Hurlburt-Johnson Friendship House; REACH of Cherokee County; REACH of Clay County; H.A.V.E.N. Children’s Advocacy; Hayesville Hands of Hope; St. Vincent DePaul Society; Community Connections; Matt’s Ministry Dolly Parton Imagination Library;
Cherokee County 4-H and Cherokee County Special Olympics.
Businesses and individuals who sponsored the project by purchasing banners, yard signs and
duckies and in other ways were BRMEMC; Bulldog Restoration; Carolina Mountain Homes; Industrial Opportunities, Inc.; Leo Phillips, Attorney; Dustin Smith; Snap-on; Steven Aft State Farm Insurance; Andrews Lions Club; Baker’s Auto & Tire; Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce; Curiosity Shop Books and Gifts; Decker Stone Co.; Dockery Auto
Parts & Tire Center; Downtown Pizza; the El-Khouri family in memory of Rose and Joe El-
Khouri; Edward Jones - Christie Standish; Farley Insurance; Erlanger Western Carolina Hospital; Farmers Equipment & Tool Rental; Free Will Baptist Church; Gibson Furniture; Ingles; Marketplace Antiques; Mountainside Pediatrics; Murphy Auto Parts; Murphy Chop House; Murphy Granite Outlet; RE/MAX - Dex Hubbard; Rare Bird Emporium; Ritz Furniture; Rumors Clothing Boutique; Michelle & Larry Spies; TLC Trophies; Turner’s Pharmacy;
Medicine Shoppe; WKRK; and Wilson Supply, Inc. The Andrews Chamber of Commerce, Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce, and Clay County Chamber all served as sites for ducky sales. Other businesses which served as sites for ducky sales and/or purchased ducks were the Curiosity Shop; Ferncrest Winery; Glitz & Glamour Boutique; Simply
Sweet Baby Boutique and Xpress Yourself.
The Clay County Chamber of Commerce donated the 3,000 plastic eggs. Shepherd of the
Mountains Church in Murphy donated candy, and volunteers from the church stuffed the eggs and then assisted with the egg hunt on the day of the event! Pastor Chris West gave an invocation. Many thanks to Tammy Ott - who coordinated the church’s volunteers, Marilyn and Harry Brown, Judy Bruce, Linda and Ralph Esposito, Pam and Ed Morrisroe, Gabby Modlin, Tom Murphy, Sam and Joe Ott.
And many thanks also to the United Way of Cherokee and Clay County Board volunteers
- and members of their families and friends - for planning and carrying out the event: Christie
Standish, chair; Kelly Crawford; Barbara El-Khouri; Marji Hill; Amanda McGee; Scotty Plappert; Sherry Raines and Linda Ray.
Dr. Karen L. Borchers ,
Executive Director, United
Way of Cherokee and Clay
Counties