United Way of Summit & Medina will postpone its Report to the Community event, previously scheduled for April 26. The event will now take place on May 22 at the John S. Knight Center in Downtown Akron. United Way staff has begun contacting event sponsors and ticketholders to make arrangements for the new date.
The decision follows the recent announcement that a grand jury will be seated on April 10 to review evidence of last year’s fatal shooting of Jayland Walker.
“Typically in our annual Report to the Community, United Way of Summit & Medina highlights the work and the successes United Way has achieved in our community over the past year,” said Annie McFadden, chief of staff, impact and communications, at United Way of Summit & Medina. “However, by shifting our date, we can allow some time to process and reflect on community reactions to the grand jury decision, whatever that may be. Our goal is to host fellow community members and leaders in an appropriate way, with the tone and tenor of the day in mind.”
United Way of Summit & Medina’s Report to the Community is the organization’s largest public event, bringing together nearly members of the community – including business, civic and spiritual leaders – to discuss issues of pressing importance to the community. Last year, approximately 900 people attended the event at the John S. Knight Center.
“As a community convener, United Way is uniquely positioned to leverage our event to bring diverse leaders together to discuss and respond to the needs of the community,” said Jim Mullen, president and CEO of United Way of Summit & Medina. “As we approach this pivotal moment for Akron, we want to do all we can to promote candid conversation, information sharing and community healing.”