Officials with the United Way of the Bradford Area have announced that Eric and Suzi Marasco will serve as the new chairpersons for the 2020-21 campaign.
The Marascos will lead the United Way campaign under the theme, “Believe in Tomorrow.”
Sarah Lonzi, Executive Director for the United Way, said the campaign will kick off Aug. 15 and is expected to continue through Jan. 31, 2021.
Funds raised by the United Way campaign will continue to help a number of local charities and nonprofits including those that were likely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Marascos said campaign committee members include Michele Skaggs, a logistics analyst with American Refining Group, and Kelsey Obermyer, a nurse at Warren General Hospital. Both Michele and Kelsey reside in Bradford.
In sharing some of their background, the Marascos said they returned to their hometown of Bradford with their young son, Leo, approximately three years ago from the Philadelphia area as they both have families in Bradford. Eric is the son of Joseph Marasco and Karen Eddy, and Suzi is the daughter of Kate and Roger Sager.
“We chose to return to Bradford because our families are here and we value the strong sense of community that the Bradford area provided to us growing up,” Suzi remarked.
Professionally, Eric is a sales manager with H&R Group, a German-based oil refinery. Suzi is a pediatric occupational therapist working in the Bradford area and is currently working on completing her doctorate in education from the University of Dayton.
Suzi has served as a United Way board member since 2018, and Eric has been a volunteer for the United Way since returning to Bradford.
They explained why they decided to accept the request to lead the campaign.
“We were excited to accept the position as the United Way Campaign Chair as we are passionate about helping the community in this time of need,” Suzi said. “We have seen first-hand how the Bradford community is able to join together during times of need, and are humbled that the United Way will allow us to lead the campaign during such a trying year.”
They also commented on how they think the pandemic may affect this year’s campaign.
“We anticipate significant changes in fundraising in terms of in-person availability, but we are confident that our team and community as a whole will rise to the challenge and implement adaptations based on the situation,” Eric offered. “Although it is uncertain what the next few months will hold, we will advocate for the Bradford area to the best of our ability while maintaining the safety of all community members.”
They also believe that while setbacks may occur with the campaign due to the pandemic, the team is gaining new opportunities to fundraise, including virtual routes, apart from the traditional means of UWBA fundraising.
“We believe that preparedness is key,” Eric concluded. “Coming into the campaign prepared with both virtual and in-person fundraising strategies, with a mindset that allows for flexibility and adaptation, will allow us to overcome any set-backs during this campaign.”
The Marascos said details on the campaign will be published in the near future.