Murphy USA presented the United Way of Union County with a check for $756,854 on Sept. 29, money raised from MUSA’s eighth annual United Way Campaign.
“This year, we raised $378,427, which means with the company match, we’ll be donating $756,854 to the United Way of Union County. This sets another record for the Murphy USA campaign,” Stacy Young, Vice President and Human Resources of MUSA, said.
The agencies that the United Way of Union County serves are running into challenges of their own but Young said MUSA hopes this gift to the nonprofit will help to alleviate some of those struggles.
“Many of these agencies are now unable to hold all of their regular, annual fundraising events due to the COVID pandemic and the associated restrictions and social distancing requirements, making them even more reliant on the funding they receive from the annual United Way fundraising campaign,” Young said.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the majority of MUSA’s local employees now working from home, the fundraising campaign was a predominantly virtual effort this year.
“Despite these challenges, this year we hosted our first-ever virtual campaign. We challenged our planning committee, which is made up of employees across the organization, to adapt - think outside the box and be creative to ensure a fun and impactful week for our employees and drive results for our community,” Young explained.
Thinking outside the box is what they did. This year’s theme was “Goin’ Old School for United Way,” chosen to evoke nostalgia of school memories to create fun virtual events for employees throughout the week, according to Young.
MUSA had different employee and team competitions to garner excitement for the fundraising campaign. The company also provided incentives for participation and catered barbecue by Flying Tamales.
Each day of the week had a theme, a message and some way of getting employees involved with some of the agencies that United Way Union County serves. They included:
- Monday: Theme Clothing Day/Old School Gear, where employees took home volunteer kits to create a dog or cat toy to benefit the Union County Animal Protection Society (UCAPS) and make friendship bracelets paired with inspirational notes for the children at the Boys and Girls Club.
- Tuesday: P.E. Day, where MUSA hosted a free live stream yoga class, conducted by HealthWorks, and a walking/step competition encouraging employees to get outside and walk and turn in their step count for a chance to win prizes. Employees were sent an online survey with questions about United Way to help educate them about the agencies in a fun way and keep them engaged in the campaign.
- Wednesday: MUSA Trivia Competition, where employees competed in a fun and interactive virtual trivia game with prizes up for grabs.
- Thursday: Theme Clothing Day, where employees wore their 2020 United Way Campaign t-shirt or any MUSA shirt. Employees drove by the office to drop off their completed volunteer kits for UCAPS and Boys and Girls Club.
- Friday: Campaign Finale and Donation Reveal, where, instead of holding an on-site finale, MUSA closed the week with another live stream event where CEO Andrew Clyde announced the final fundraising total and reinforced appreciation to employees for their generosity.
Young said the week was quite festive and not only contributed to a great cause in supporting the United Way, but also built team morale and spirit.
“We couldn’t be prouder of our employees. Through their donations and our campaign efforts, we are creating opportunity, providing comfort and building a better future for individuals, children and families across Union County,” Young said. “Even in a year of so much change and uncertainty, our employees remain resilient and united. Despite this year’s challenges, we are committed to taking care of each other, our customers and our community.”
Murphy USA also announced an additional $10 million dollar donation to the Murphy USA Charitable Foundation. According to MUSA, this gift will further sustain existing local programs like the Murphy Arts District, as it looks to reopen post COVID-19, as well as new community programs like the Summer Youth Work Program, which is coordinated with the City of El Dorado.
“Murphy USA is dedicated to improving the quality of life where we live and work by supporting the causes that make our community thrive. Since becoming a stand-alone public company in August 2013, Murphy USA, our charitable foundation and our employees have invested nearly $23 million to make a difference in our hometown of El Dorado,” Young said. “Our philanthropy programs are designed to strengthen our communities while empowering our employees to get involved, help others and be a part of the solution.”