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Insurance agency hands out $8,000 in donations
By danny restivo
girard
A local insurance agency will pass out $8,000 in charitable donations this week after using its Facebook page to decide where the money would go.
The Gibson Agency LLC, an insurance provider on Tibbetts-Wick Road, allowed visitors of its Face-book page to vote which local charity would receive the bulk of $8,000, said Katie L. Gething, Gibson Agency director of marketing.
After narrowing the selection down to eight charities, Gething said the Gibson Agency Facebook page had tallied 2,200 votes during a two-week voting period in December.
She said having the votes made the decision process a lot easier.
“We just wanted to give back and we couldn’t decide on one [charity],” she said. “This way we were able to bring recognition to all the charities involved.”
Gething said Adrienne’s Army received the most with 867 votes, and will be awarded the top amount, $4,000. Adrienne’s Army is a charitable effort for 31-year-old Adrienne Litman-Toth, an expecting mother from Sharon, Pa., who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Johnny Litman, Litman-Toth’s brother, is helping spearhead fundraising for Adrienne’s Army. He said all the Gibson Agency money will help defer the cost of raising a newborn baby while recovering from cancer surgery.
“It’s wonderful. This helps us out so much,” he said. “We’ve had fundraisers but nothing compared to what they’ve done so far.”
Gething said the Agency will present the check to Adrienne’s Army on Saturday during a fundraising event for Litman-Toth at Yankee Lake Ballroom in Brookfield.
Gething said The Gibson Agency is also donating $1,000 to the Warren Family Mission, a nonprofit inner- city rescue mission that provides support for the homeless. The Warren Family Mission came in second with 492 votes and will receive its donation on Thursday.
Gething said six other organizations will receive $500 donations — The American Red Cross of the Mahoning Valley, Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley, Akron Children’s Hospital, Angels for Animals in Canfield, Homes for Kids Inc. in Niles and Children’s Rehabilitation Center in Howland.