Recap of Marshall-ECU Game

GREENVILLE, N.C. – Dominique Davis threw for a career-high 208 yards and two scores and East Carolina crushed Marshall 37-10 Saturday night in their homecoming contest.

Marshall’s defensive back, Omar Brown, seemed unstoppable in the first quarter but the Pirate offense kicked it in high gear and dominated the game. Marshall (1-6, 0-3) falls to the bottom of the Conference USA standings.

East Carolina’s, Jonathan Williams, ran for 111 yards and a touchdown for the Pirates. ECU (5-2, 4-0), is now the front runner for Conference USA. Pirate linebacker, Dustin Lineback, ended the night with 12 tackles and wide receiver, Mike Price, scored the final touchdown. It was the first touchdown reception of Price’s career.

Marshall’s running game had many ECU fans worried in the first half. Wide receiver, Troy Evans, scored the touchdown that tied the game 10-10. Quarterback, Brian Anderson, threw 217 yards before being pulled for a backup. This marked the third consecutive time for Anderson.

The Herd scored one touchdown which was Anderson’s 9-yard pass to Evans in the second quarter. Anderson threw 3 interceptions, all resulting in ECU scoring drives.

Pirate running back, Williams, ran for a 29-yard touchdown, leaving ECU on top at halftime 17-10. Davis opened up the second half by throwing a 26-yard touchdown to make it 27-10. With 12:59 left in the fourth quarter, Price scored for the 37-10 victory.

Marshall’s next matchup is at Joan C. Edward’s field in Huntington as they take on the UTEP Miners of Texas El Paso. That game is set to begin at 3 p.m.

Non-Profit Preparation

As I prepare to interview several people about the Non-Profit that I am covering, I thought I would share several things with my readers. Keep in mind that the Non-Profit is the Boy Scouts - Tri-State Area Council located here in Huntington.

Below is a list of questions that I am planning on asking officials.
1) What is the primary goal of the organization?
2) Do you receive any help or support from the community whether it be volunteerism or monetary support?
3) How do you recruit new scouters?
4) I am aware that the organization gets grant funding through the United Way. Are there any other sources in which funding is provided to the Tri-State Area Council?
5) What led you to serving as executive director of this organization?

In addition to the questions listed above, I will ask more personal questions related to the individual I will be speaking with. As of now, I am scheduled to speak with Rick Loudin who is the executive director of the council. I also will dig deeper into the financial side of the organization and find out where money is being spent and where money is coming from. I also want to gain a better understanding of what this particular council does and the benefits that these scouters are receiving.

Below is a list of websites that I plan to visit.
1) http://www.tsacbsa.org/tsac/    (This is the home page for the Tri-State Area Council)
2) http://www.independentsector.org/
3) http://liveunited.org/     (This is the United Way of America website)
4) http://www.sos.wv.gov/Pages/default.aspx    (This is the West Virginia Secretary of State site)

Below is a list of documents that I plan to request.
1) Copies of the last three tax returns
2) Copies of the IRS tax-exempt letter
3) Copy of the organization's annual report

Please leave feedback if you think that I should go about things differently. I appreciate all comments. Thanks.

United Way Story

This is my United Way story that I wrote about the presentation last Tuesday in class. Enjoy!!

            Two executives of the United Way of the River Cities told students at Marshall University’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication about the importance to give, advocate, and volunteer last Tuesday.

Laura Gilliam, executive director, and Casey Bowden, marketing director, voiced concerns about current problems facing Huntington and outlined the objectives and outcomes of the organization when invited to speak to a news writing class. The United Way of the River cities serves Cabell, Lawrence, Mason, and Lincoln counties and is a non-profit organization that betters human conditions in and around the community.

Gilliam said that the United Way started its outreach back in 1922 and has since served the tri-state area. The organization gets it’s funding from partnerships, fundraising, and grant writing.

“No money, no mission,” Gilliam said. She told students about the need for community donors. “We need to reach our projected fundraising goal of $1.25 million.”

            Bowden said that the money goes toward medication, food, shelter, and other basic safety needs that people tend to go without. Gilliam said that rather than go straight to the homeless, unemployed, and drug abusers, the organizations tries to find the root cause of the issue and move forward from there.

 Gilliam outlined the four focus areas of the United Way. These include health/wellness, learning/earning, families/children, and basic needs/unforeseen hardships.

“We provide funding to local agencies and organizations,” Gilliam said. Some of these include the American Red Cross, Goodwill Industries, Boy Scouts – Tri-State Area Council, Huntington Area Food Bank, City Welfare Mission, and YMCA. Gilliam also told the initiatives of the organization including the Financial Stability Partnership of the River Cities, Success by Six, and the Cabell County Substance Abuse Prevention Partnership (CCSAPP).

Gilliam told students that she was working on a grant from USDA which would address hunger in Cabell County. “It is due Friday and we are excited about it,” Gilliam said.

Gilliam is a 1985 graduate from the University of North Carolina and has been executive director with the United Way since 2005. She is active in the community and within her church. Bowden is a Marshall University graduate and is a member in many community organizations. She began at United Way in 2004.

The class of 12 students asked questions and Rachel Hunter, student, said that the presentation was a great success. The United Way of the River Cities is located on Madison Avenue in Huntington. For more information, call 304-523-8929.