Myrick receives 2013 Interagency Coalition Starfish Award

Submitted

When Tim Myrick arrived at the Anderson County Interagency Coalition Starfish celebration, he was not surprised to see several members of the Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties board of directors and Executive Director Annie Cacherio. Myrick was a member of the ADFAC board of directors for 12 years and remains involved with the organization. It seemed normal that he was invited to join the others to receive the Starfish award from the ACIC, or so Myrick thought!

As soon as William “Bear” Stephenson began reading the arm-long list of outstanding contributions made by the honoree to the Anderson County community through service to various organizations and programs, Myrick immediately realized that he was the honoree.

Everyone in the room, including Myrick, was choked up when he went to the podium to receive the award from Stephenson. Teresa Myrick then went to the podium and graciously thanked everyone for the award on her husband’s behalf.

Representatives of various social service agencies and the ADFAC guests were gathered in a meeting room at Oak Ridge Associated Universities for the fifth annual ACIC celebration held recently. Based on the Starfish Story, the ACIC annual celebration is held for health and human service organizations to celebrate what was done collectively to build community as well as to present the annual Starfish award for service to an individual in the wider community.

Before the award presentation by Bear Stephenson, Rick Morrow, who is executive director of United Way of Anderson County, explained the “starfish” story and its connection to the coalition’s award.

“A grandfather and his grandson are walking along the beach and the grandson stops to throw starfish back into the ocean,” Morrow said. “When his grandfather tells the youngster he can’t make a difference and save all the starfish that wash up on the beach, the grandson throws one back into the water and replies, ‘It made a difference for that one.'”

“We’re still the Secret City,” Morrow said in reference to keeping the surprise of Myrick being honored with the award.

Myrick is the fourth recipient of the Starfish Award. Stephenson was honored with the coalition’s first Starfish award in 2010 for his excellence in helping to make the community a better place by conducting fund raising auctions for nonprofits. Dottie Thompson and Gene Caldwell were honored for their service to Emory Valley Center in 2011. Last year, the award was presented to Dr. Jim Michel for his service to the Free Medical Clinic.

Following the presentation, attendees representing nonprofits shared stories about how their agency made a difference in the life of person or lives of a family they served.

Morrow applauded the members of the coalition.

“We’re here to celebrate where we made a difference, and those who keep hurling those starfish back out to the ocean,” he said. “It is a classic story about the power of each of us to make a difference in the lives of others.”

“ORAU has underwritten the December ACIC meeting for all five of the years that the coalition has been in existence,” said coalition steering committee member Maureen Hoyt. “ORAU’s generosity through use of a meeting room and lunch for the social service agency representatives does something very special for those who do so much for others.  Everyone is very appreciative of their support and look forward to this special meeting at the end of each year.”

ACIC was formed five years ago to bring all nonprofit and for-profit health and social service providers together to resolve issues of common concern, improve coordination of services, and to identify and improve resources to support these services. Today, more than 60 social service providers from throughout Anderson County are members. Meeting locations are alternated between Clinton and Oak Ridge and are announced prior to each meeting.