Commodore Isaac Hull Society reception set

It's a very busy time of year at United Way as we prepare for the upcoming campaign and our Corporate Volunteer Council is working on the Back to School Clothes for Kids Reception next week and the Week of Caring project next month. But today I want to pause and offer a special thanks to the members of our Commodore Isaac Hull Society who represent the largest givers to Valley United Way.

When we established our leadership giving group many years ago, we wanted a name that would signify the importance of the Society to the entire community. After doing some research, Vincent Palacino, who was our Director of Resource Development, suggested naming it after Commodore Hull Vince was not from the Valley, but his research had left him with the strong impression that not only was Commodore Hull one of the greatest naval heroes in U.S. history, but he also was born in Derby and grew up in both Derby and what is now the City of Shelton. If you don't know about Commodore Hull's role in U.S. history, perhaps you know the story of "Old Ironsides", the U.S.S. Constitution, which is still on public display to this day in Boston, and is the oldest commissioned ship in the U.S. Navy. Hull was in charge of Old Ironsides on that fateful day when it defeated the British ship Guerriere in a stunning victory for the young U.S. Navy during the War of 1812. The victory brought credibility to the U.S. Navy and great honor to the entire country. You can learn more about Commodore Hull here.

Commodore Hull was indeed a great hero for the entire country, and we are proud to have our leadership givers associated with such an outstanding figure in Valley history. Our donors make a little bit of history of their own through their involvement with the Commodore Hull Society. Their donations make a major difference in the quality of life in our community as they support so many worthy programs and organizations funded through the United Way campaign. They are also role models for all those who want to be involved in the community in a leadership role. For the first time in years, we are going to pause and thank them directly with a small "thank you" reception. Hopefully, many will be able to attend, but I wanted to take this time to let them know how much their support is appreciated.

As a small footnote to the story of Commodore Hull, I think many people know that I am also involved with a great road race that is held every Thanksgiving along the streets of Shelton and Derby. The Commodore Hull Thanksgiving Day 5K Road Race has been celebrating the achievements since 2002, and will have its ninth race this Thanksgiving. I was recently contacted by a woman who stumbled upon the race website and was thrilled to see his name and story celebrated through the race. What was really interesting is that she told me that she has an oil portrait of Hull done around 1800. It has been in her family for generations. This Saturday, she is bringing the portrait to the Derby Historical Society. I am looking forward to a glimpse of this early portrait of one of the Valley and the country's greatest naval heroes.



For more information about Valley United Way, visit our website at http://www.valleyunitedway.org/.