Saying it’s time to “Inspire, Inform, and Involve,” members of the 2013/2014 Leadership Marion class held a community rally and volunteer fair at Tri-Rivers Thursday evening. In addition to several speakers, the event was the debut of video touting the good in Marion.
Leadership Marion! is a comprehensive program sponsored by the Marion Area Chamber of Commerce that is designed to “prepare the community’s next generation of leaders and explores essential building blocks of the Marion community, from education, business and government to health care and social services.”
The class facilitator, Tom Toney, said that from day one the class had a desire to engage and inspire the community they love. Each year the Leadership Marion class picks a project to improve Marion and this year’s class wanted to move away from complaining about the bad and instead promote what makes Marion exceptional.
Towards that goal, the class worked with Brian Lyles, who donated his time, to create a video to serve as a type of highlight reel. You can view that final video below.
During the evening’s program, full auditorium also heard success stories from several students at Rushmore Academy. The community school, sponsored by the Marion City School District, serves students who need to recover credits in order to graduate high school. The student speakers all credited Rushmore for providing them the opportunity and structure to succeed in school and graduate.
Beth Meadows, Volunteer Coordinator at OhioHealth Marion General, also gave a rousing speech telling her story of growing up in Marion and then choosing to stay and work towards making the community a better place. She stressed that residents must stop living in the past and bemoaning the loss of the “good old days” and, instead, focus on the present to create the future they want.
Following the program, attendees were encouraged to visit the 20 groups offering volunteer opportunities in Marion. The groups had set up information tables explaining the work they do and how residents can help their missions.
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