MISSION COMPLETE!
The United Way of the Pennyrile's 2023-24 campaign was led by co-chairs Cody Noffsinger and Chris Jung, who took on the personas of the iconic "Blues Brothers," Jake and Elwood, famously portrayed by Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi. Noffsinger and Jung promised that if the community members of Christian, Trigg, and Todd Counties rallied together to surpass the campaign's $700,000 goal, they would perform a rendition of the "Soul Man" dance from The Blues Brothers. At Tuesday night's celebration at The Bruce, the pair kept their word as the campaign achieved over $735,000—a mission well accomplished.
This remarkable success marked only the eighth time since 2002 that the campaign goal had been exceeded, and it represents the largest sum raised by public and private donors since 2018. In true Blues Brothers style, Noffsinger and Jung made more than 30 public appearances as Jake and Elwood, energizing the community in a way reminiscent of the golden days of Saturday Night Live.
The evening's festivities also included the highly anticipated "People Helping People" Awards, presented to standout organizations in small, medium, and large business categories, along with an overall recognition for exceptional impact. H&R Agri-Power, a major campaign contributor, was honored for its impressive donation of more than $69,000. Other awards included the Chairman’s Awards, recognizing top contributors in each division, and the Spirit Awards, celebrating companies with the highest percentage increases in giving.
In addition, two individual honors were presented. The J. William Flowers Award went to Martha Argotte, who was also named as next year’s campaign chair, while the Beverly Whitfield Award was given to Annie Bingham for her significant contributions to the campaign. Betsy Bond, President of the United Way of the Pennyrile, emphasized that these awards embody the community spirit of "people helping people."
Here’s a list of the award winners:
Commercial Division
- Chairman’s Award: H&R Agri-Power
- Spirit Award: Fortera Credit Union
Education Division
- Chairman’s Award: Hopkinsville Community College
- Spirit Award: Indian Hills Elementary
Government Division
- Chairman’s Award: Hopkinsville Water Environment Authority (HWEA)
- Spirit Award: Christian County Jail
Industrial Division
- Chairman’s Award: Pennyrile Electric
- Spirit Award: Siemer Milling Company
Professional Division
- Chairman’s Award: Jennie Stuart Health
- Spirit Award: Trace Industries
People Helping People Awards
- Small Firm (fewer than 25 employees): Farm Credit Mid America
- Medium Firm (25–100 employees): HWEA
- Large Firm (over 100 employees): Pennyrile Electric
- Overall People Helping People Award: H&R Agri-Power
Individual Honors
- J. William Flowers Award: Martha Argotte
- Beverly Whitfield Award: Annie Bingham
As the evening concluded, Argotte expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to serve as next year’s campaign chair and hinted at exciting plans ahead.
This celebration is made possible by our wonderful sponsors- HWEA, Jennie Stuart Health, Pennyrile Electric, United Southern Bank, Staton's Art & Framing, The Bruce Convention Center and the Krusteaz Company.
Celebration Dinner Program
2023 Awards Celebration Program
2023 Awards Slideshow Presentation
