Holk-Jones receives first United Way Lifetime Service Award

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DAPHNE, Alabama — The surprise was evident on Frances Holk-Jones’ face when it was announced that she was the first recipient of Baldwin County United Way’s Lifetime Service Award.
“In looking back at our records, since the beginning of our organization’s existence, she has been listed as a donor, a Board member or serving on one committee or another,” said Baldwin County United Way Executive Director Marina Simpson in announcing the award.
Her next statement, however, would give it away.
“She took a tragic event in her own life and turned it into a way to help others by creating the Jennifer Claire Moore Foundation,” Simpson said.
Through the Jennifer Claire Moore Foundation Rodeo, the organization has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars and supports 47 Peer Helper Programs in schools across Baldwin County. According to jennifermoorefoundation.com, over 1,200 Peer Helpers serve a combined population of nearly 30,000 students in Baldwin County.

The award was one of many handed out by Simpson and 2019 Board of Directors Chairman Patrice Davis with a fundraising goal this year of $900,000.
According to unitedway-bc.org, United Way of Baldwin County is one of 1,350 member organizations throughout the United States, improving “lives by mobilizing the caring power of their communities.”
United Way of Baldwin County traces its roots and first fundraising campaign to 1968. Originally two organizations, in 2007, South Baldwin United Way and North Baldwin United Way merged to form United Way of Baldwin County.
Additional awards included:
Top Campaign: Publix.
Top School Campaign: Foley High School.
School Spirit: Delta Elementary.
United Way Spirit: South Baldwin Regional Medical Center.
Leading Companies: Enterprise Leasing, Baldwin EMC, Riviera Utilities, Thompson Tractor.
Platinum sponsor for this year’s event was Triad RX. Gold sponsors were: Ascend Performance Materials, Baldwin EMC, Publix, Riviera Utilities, South Shore Insurance, State Farm-Frances Holk-Jones, United Bank, Vulcan Inc., and Wells Fargo.
Silver sponsors were: BancorpSouth, Bryant Bank, Centennial Bank, City of Bay Minette, Collins Aerospace, Davis and Fields, P.C., Erie Hall Meyer Charitable Trust, Hancock Whitney, Infirmary Health, National Bank of Commerce, Kaiser by Wyndham, Rikard Charitable Trust, The First, and Wolf Bay Lodge.
Bronze sponsors were: Alabama Power, Bussey Capital Management, City of Daphne, Coastal Alabama Community College, Community Senior Life, Daphne Utilities, Gruenloh, Hardy & Associates P.C., Hartmann, Blackmon & Kilgore CPAs, Hix Snedeker Companies, IBERIABANK, Law Office of Harry Still III, SmartBank, South Baldwin Regional Medical Center, The Wharf, and Trustmark Bank.
The 2019 Board of Directors are: Chairman Patrice Davis, Baldwin County Board of Education; Vice-Chair Clair Dorough, North Baldwin Utilities; Secretary/Treasurer Vickie Langham, Collins Aerospace; Past-Chair Melissa Hollingsworth, Baldwin EMC; Vinson Bradley, Coastal Alabama Community College; Grant Brown, City of Gulf Shores; Patrick Bussey, Bussey Capital Management; Angela Byrnes, Riviera Utilities; Colby Cooper, Hix Snedeker Companies; Bennie Dalzell, Publix Supermarkets; Char Haber, Wolf Bay Lodge; Carl Jones, Baldwin Mutual Insurance; Christi Koehle, Wealth Solutions Group; Russ Reynolds, Coastal Alabama Community College; Margaret Roley, South Baldwin Regional Medical Center; Marcia Stabler, The First; and Tripp Ward, Alabama Power.
The 2019 Youth Board members are: Henry Arthur, Elberta High; Madeline Bent, St. Michael Catholic School; Lincoln Butts, Snook Christian Academy; Rachel Donald, Baldwin County High; Sarah Finch, Foley High; Micah Gaffney, Spanish Fort High; Audrey Hudson, Bayside Academy; Madison Overstreet, South Baldwin Christian Academy; Jordan Sampson, Daphne High; and Sarah Shipp, Robertsdale High.