United Way Presents Awards, Honoring Local Champions for Efforts on Behalf of Rhode Island Children and Helping to Improve our Communities

Providence, R.I. (October 27, 2016) Guided by the principle that addressing the issues that impact our communities and creating positive, lasting change in the lives of others is best accomplished by working together, United Way of Rhode Island (UWRI) recently presented awards to four local champions, honoring their selfless contributions to make Rhode Island a better place to live.

The awards were presented during UWRI’s 90^th Annual Celebration, and this year’s honorees are:

• 2016 Corporate Partner Award: Hasbro, Inc.
• Young Leader Spark! Award: Meghan Grady, COO, YWCA of Rhode Island
• Dante Mollo Labor Award: Valerie Staples, Children’s Fund Coordinator, NEARI
• John H. Chafee Lifetime Service Award: Todd Flaherty, (retired) President & CEO, College Crusade

“Nothing that United Way has been able to accomplish would be possible without the help and support of so many Rhode Islanders, from all walks of life, working together with the shared goal of strengthening our communities,” said Anthony Maione, President and CEO, United Way of Rhode Island. “Supporting the development and growth of children—our leaders of tomorrow—remains a primary focus and each of this year’s honorees have committed themselves to this work, setting an example we all can follow.”

In honor of their longstanding contributions to UWRI and deep commitment to children, Anthony Maione presented the 2016 Corporate Partnership Award to Hasbro, Inc. The award was accepted on the company’s behalf by EVP and Chief Human Resources Officer, Dolph Johnson.

A dedicated partner of UWRI’s work and the signature Hasbro Summer Learning Initiative, which replaces summer learning loss with skills gains in math and reading for students by engaging them in active learning opportunities during the summer months, Hasbro, Inc.’s commitment to improving the lives of others knows no bounds. Hasbro, Inc. employees are active volunteers in a variety of UWRI initiatives, contribute thoughts and ideas to advance programs, and lend their knowledge of children’s needs in our state. The company also coordinates a highly-successful workplace giving campaign each year.

The second award, the Young Leader Spark! Award, was given to a member of UWRI’s Young Leaders Circle (YLC) in recognition of their efforts to spark change in Rhode Island. Receiving the award was Meghan Grady, Chief Operating Officer of YWCA Rhode Island. It was presented by Jocelyn Kelly, Vice Chair of the Young Leaders Circle. Meghan is a founding member of the YLC and has been instrumental in its growth to become the largest network of service-minded young leaders in the state. At YWCA, Meghan oversees a multitude of programs that encourage young Rhode Island women further their education and pursue their dreams, stressing that they can accomplish anything they put their minds to.

The Dante Mollo Labor Award recognizes the strong partnership between the Labor community and UWRI. Presented by Valarie Lawson of the East Providence Education Association, this year’s recipient is Valerie Staples, Children’s Fund Coordinator for the National Education Association of RI. For more than 25-years, Valerie has worked with local teachers and schools to help some of Rhode Island’s neediest students and their families on a day-to-day basis. She also oversees the Gingerbread Express, which spreads the joy of the holidays to more than 2,000 at-risk children each year by granting their clothing and gift wishes.

The John H. Chafee Lifetime Service Award, presented by Zechariah Chafee, son of late Rhode Island Senator John H. Chafee, was awarded to Todd Flaherty, who retired in June as President and CEO of the College Crusade of Rhode Island and a distinguished career of educational leadership at state, local and national levels. Having dedicated his life to educating youth, Todd’s career touched the lives of tens of thousands of students. He is a former high school principal in Narragansett and North Carolina, previous Assistant Superintendent of Schools in Coventry, and served as Senior Policy Advisor for the National High School Center in Washington, D.C. After joining College Crusade in 2009, Todd oversaw the growth of offered programs to more than 60 available today in 30 local high schools, and helped improve the high school graduation rate of College Crusade participants to 81 percent, which exceeds the state’s overall graduation rate across all Rhode Island districts.

About United Way of Rhode Island 

United Way of Rhode Island (UWRI) has been working to improve the quality of life in Rhode Island for nearly 90 years. Together with its partners, UWRI is changing lives and strengthening our communities by investing in proven programs that work over the short-term, and are scalable over the long-term. For more information, visit www.LIVEUNITEDri.org.

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