CINCINNATI — There were plenty of "happy tears" and high five's at last week's annual convention of the Ohio Credit Union League marking the success of the 19-day Children's Miracle Network "march-a-thon."
The tears came at an emotional check presentation ceremony with the family of "Ohio Champion" three-year-old Hannah Stoll receiving $81,000 on behalf of children's hospitals across the state, with all of the CU donations coming from the Columbus-to-Cincinnati relay walk spread over 19 days.
"Let me say that Bill Butler is awesome and our hero," said the outgoing chairman of the league, Doug Fecher, in characterizing the organizer of the "Marching Miles for Miracle Kids" campaign which began April 1–the same day as the Washington Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run–and ended April 19 at the Duke Energy Center, the site of the league conference.
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Practically single-handedly, Butler, president/CEO of Ohio Healthcare Federal Credit Union, Dublin, is credited with assembling support from Ohio CUs, vendors and the national CMN organization in Salt Lake City to organize the "march-a-thon" which stopped at children's hospitals and participating CU branches along the way to demonstrate the CU people-to-people mission.
As planned, local newspapers and radio stations with live interviews covered the group of some 150 CEOs, volunteers and employees who trudged through both 30-degree snow showers and 70-degree sunshine along Ohio back roads to make the 180-mile trek.
The goal of the fundraising through walker pledges and online donations was $75,000, but that figure was surpassed several days before the end of the walk. Before the last contingent arrived in the conference hall of the Duke Center, the walkers first stopped at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital.
Fecher, the departing league chairman who also is president/CEO of Wright-Patt Credit Union of Fairborn, lauded Butler "for taking the reins of this project" from the start and running full steam. The march-a-thon idea can now be tried elsewhere in support of CMN, said Fecher.
At the ceremony, "it was a heart warming and emotional moment," said Fecher, as the family of Stoll, a patient at the Cincinnati hospital for many years and who weighed little over a pound at birth, received the $81,000 check.
Also as part of the moving presentation, a symbolic medallion carried on each leg of the march and worn the last three miles by the son of a CU executive who spent time recovering in the Cincinnati hospital was presented to Hannah Stoll.
Handing over the medallion was Michael Sutton, who walked the last leg and is the son of Dan Sutton, the chief financial officer of Kemba CU of Cincinnati who earlier had recounted the story of Michael's 24-day stay in the hospital. The 13-year-old suffered severe leg injuries following a dirt bike accident "but he's doing fine now–maybe 93% normal," said the elder Sutton who joined his son on the walk.
"There were lots of tears shed," said Fecher adding that Butler's effort was worth it both in helping a worthy cause and shedding light on the role CUs play in supporting communities.
It was particularly gratifying "that so many mayors and local political leaders" turned out at stops along the march route.
Separate from the CMN ceremony, Fecher in his farewell remarks to convention attendees made indirect reference to the Wings/Continental fracas noting the "different forces" aimed at altering CU growth. Some CUs "are so worried about reaching" growth goals that they ignore member needs.
"More time needs to spent on the member" and growth will come in due course, concluded Fecher. –[email protected]
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