United Way celebrates its 100th anniversary!

Abby Shirley was a dedicated United Way donor for years, never dreaming she'd need services the organization helps provide.

A bad turn down a water slide changed everything. Shirley was a diabetic, and a slight bump on the head caused bleeding inside her eyes. After a series of surgeries, the doctors finally confirmed the worst: she'd never see again.

"I had been married 11 months," Shirley told a crowd of hundreds at Thursday's United Way campaign kickoff. "My husband had not bargained for this."

An agency supported by the United Way, now known as the Center for the Visually Impaired, helped Shirley learn to read Braille and perform basic life skills.

"I don't know how much you've ever given to the United Way," she said. "But when I went to CVI, every one of you was on the other side of that door, saying 'Come on in, Abby Shirley, we want to help you.' "

Shirley's story kicked off the Gwinnett United Way's 100th anniversary campaign.

"If I was a Baptist minister," mistress of ceremonies Frances Davis said, "I would pass the plate right now."

There will be plenty of proverbial plate passing. The Gwinnett United Way's 2005 campaign, led by Al Hansen, aims to raise more than $4.6 million. Last year's campaign raised $4.4 million. The United Way supports a host of organizations, including the American Red Cross and Salvation Army, which are soldiering these days to assist hurricane victims.

"The dollars you raised in last year's campaign are helping victims right now," Davis said.