The number 75 was getting a lot of play on Thursday, but 33 was perhaps the most important figure being discussed.
Seventy-five is the number of years the United Way of Southeast Arkansas has been in existence, and there was quite a bit of fanfare at the kickoff of the annual fundraising campaign, held at the Pine Bluff Convention Center.
Part of that celebration included a parade put on by children from Jenkins Memorial Center, which provides services to children and others who have special needs. The youngsters walked or rode through the banquet hall to the delight of the audience.
But this was the start of a fundraising campaign, and that means money, which is where the number 33 becomes significant. That is how many years in a row that the United Way has raised $1 million or more during its annual campaign.
Lelan Stice, president of the United Way board, was the first to express pride about the record, calling it "unheard of" and saying Pine Bluff "beats the socks off of everybody in the state as far as fundraising."
Stice then introduced the campaign chair, Council Member Joni Alexander, on whose shoulders it will fall to reach the $1 million mark for a 34th time.
"I'm not even 33 years old," she said with a laugh, then added that it was because of those in attendance that Pine Bluff would make the goal once again.
"We're going to reach that million dollars again this year," she said.
Later in the program, Alexander said the city has the state's attention.
"Pine Bluff is the community on the hill," she said. "All eyes are on us. We are the best of southeast Arkansas. What we do here benefits all of southeast Arkansas."
She then praised those who had attended the kickoff luncheon.
"You show up and you do the work," she said. "We are not defined by our differences. We are defined by what we have in common."
Mayor Shirley Washington echoed Alexander's sentiment, saying that, despite the city's loss of population and being in the middle of a pandemic, the United Way was able to reach its goal last year.
Alexander, Washington said, would be successful in the fundraising campaign, praising the council member's intellect and optimism.
"She'll get the job done," Washington said, firing up the crowd. "Who's going to lead us this year? Joni!"
The mayor then read a proclamation relating to the campaign kickoff and presented a framed copy of it to Alexander.
Much rides on a successful campaign each year, with most of the money raised going to 20 agencies, each of which helps the public in a variety of ways, said Leslie Dorn, executive director of the United Way.
"The campaign would not be possible without you in this room and the many others in the community," Dorn said.
Another number getting attention was 50. That's how many years Zelda Hoaglan has been with Jenkins Memorial Center. Hoaglan spoke of her time at the agency, with her early years spent as a speech pathologist driving around southeast Arkansas in what could have doubled as a doorless bread truck. On one outing, she said, she ran over a chicken and stopped to apologize, only to find the owner standing on a porch with a gun. On another day, she said she came home not feeling well and remembered she had been "crop dusted from the right and the left," as she drove along.
"It was very rural," she said to laughter.
Hoaglan's remarks turned more serious as she talked about how much the funding from the United Way had meant to her agency, providing the money to buy equipment and to train top-notch professionals who brought cutting edge methods to the agency in their efforts to help people overcome their health obstacles.
Many of those people helped were youngsters who went on to do great things for society, Hoaglan said.
"One became a physician," she said. "And he would not have been a physician had he not had the therapy that the United Way paid for."
After Hoaglan finished, Dorn thanked her for her years of service and then surprised Hoaglan with a gift that praised Hoaglan for her five decades at Jenkins.
Last year's fundraising campaign was especially difficult because of the limitations caused by the coronavirus.
In a regular -- noncovid -- year, United Way agency employees and company volunteers make presentations to employees to let them know firsthand how much their contributions are needed. But because businesses were sidelined and meeting face to face for anything was a rarity, fundraising happened online in many instances, and when the campaign ended, the $1 million goal had been met but with just $54 to spare.
Dorn said after the meeting that she felt this year's fundraising effort would look more like a "normal" year.
"I'm optimistic," Dorn said. "The restrictions have been eased and we're all masked up and all vaccinated. We should be able to get out and get in front of people again. And we learned from last year that it can be done even under trying circumstances."
