United Way Alliance, Chemours celebrate anniversaries
The following article first appeared in The Parkersburg News & Sentinel on September 11th, 2023.
People gathered on Market Street Saturday as the United Way Alliance of the Mid-Ohio Valley hosted their Centennial Celebration.
“Everybody has been so incredibly supportive,” Executive Director Stacy DeCicco said. “From the mayor, to the city council showing up today, to Senator Manchin’s office.”
The event, dubbed The Sweet Street Birthday Celebration, was sponsored by Chemours, who was also celebrating the 75th Anniversary of their Washington Works site.
“We wanted to celebrate our birthdays together,” Jim Hollingsworth, plant manager at the Chemours facility at Washington Works, said. “We have a really large partnership with the United Way, we’ve been partnering with them really the whole time, and when we heard it was their 100th (anniversary) we approached them and said, ‘Hey! We’re going to have a 75th, why don’t we do this together and have a big party?”
There were confectionery treats from Crown Florals & Gifts available, a giant birthday cake from McHappys Donuts and Bake Shoppe, live music from Jake Binegar and Levi & Hannah Westfall, kids activities with the Boys & Girls Club of Parkersburg, the Parkersburg YMCA and Discovery On Market, Kona Ice of the Mid-Ohio Valley, Adopt-A-Thon with the Humane Society of Parkersburg and so much more.
Everything was free for members of the community with Chemours picking up the tab.
“They pretty much wanted this to be free for the community, they wanted it to be a celebration. They put the dollars behind making this so successful today,” DeCicco said. “I can’t say enough how humbling it is that Chemours would sponsor this event for us. Washington Works has been critical for us.”
Hollingsworth said they are dedicated to supporting the community here in West Virginia, and especially in the Mid-Ohio Valley.
“What better way to do it then have all the families get together, celebrate with us, have cake and cookies, all the goodies for the little kids, and make it fun for the children,” Hollingsworth said. ‘I love to see all the kids show up. I love to see the kids playing and enjoying themselves. Couldn’t have asked for anything better. We truly are blessed to live in a great community like we have here in Wood County.”
Hollingsworth said he was born and raised in West Virginia, went to high school and college in West Virginia and that he is very proud of his state.
“I think this is a great place, a great community,” Hollingsworth said. “”I’m just having fun with my family here. Not only my immediate family, but what I would call my extended family of the community.”
DeCicco said the event couldn’t have taken place without the generosity of Chemours and the volunteers that helped.
“We had over 100 volunteers to pull this event off today,” DeCicco said. “There’s space in our campaign for everyone. It doesn’t matter if you’re a huge entity like Chemours, an individual that wants to give us two hours once a month, it makes a difference.”