FROM THE CEO ALISON ANTHONY, TULSA AREA UNITED WAY
4 EQUAL NIGHT. That’s the Latin translation of Equinox, the day twice a year where the sun crosses the celestial equator, when day and night are of equal length. As I write on the Spring Equinox, hearing the birds outside my window, I’m honoring the balance of dark and light. Our team is looking forward to the longer, warmer days and the 2022 work ahead, but we’re also grateful for the winter we’ve been through to reflect on the past year and to prepare for planting new seeds for future growth and abundance. As long as I can remember, I’ve been leaning forward and charging ahead to what is next, and admittedly, this means I’m not great at pausing to celebrate. But our Live United Awards Luncheon on March 8 brought us together with more than 800 people to honor the work of thousands of volunteers, donors, companies, and teams who showed up for this community, raising $25,493,060. We joined
the choir from LIFE Senior Services that day, singing the Star Spangled Banner with an open heart. More than 800 strong, many of us were moved to tears, jubilant we were back together in person, remembering those we have lost, grateful for your generosity, and raising our voices to celebrate the freedom we enjoyed that day. We also knew that many around the world are fighting for their freedom, and we lifted up our voices for them as well. In case you weren’t able to join us, we cheered for more than 900 companies and tens of thousands of donors who helped us surpass the campaign goal. We also recognized the nearly 200 volunteers, including some of you, who spent more than 5,000 hours in the first half of the year making sure that amazing $25,493,060 you helped raise is well invested in 59 excellent nonprofit partners and grant programs.
