SYLACAUGA, Ala. – On Tuesday afternoon, the Sylacauga Alliance for Family Enhancement (SAFE) held its 20th Anniversary Celebration at its community garden.
Hundreds of people from the community, both involved with SAFE and those impacted by the organization, came out to celebrate the occasion. The Sylacauga Marching Aggie Band, along with the SHS show choir and dancers from the Southern Dance and Performing Arts Co., all performed for the crowds. The event was highlighted by honoring the many people who have been a part SAFE since its inception.
Over the last 20 years, SAFE has been committed to its mission, vision and values to empower and impact families and the community in order to foster the positive and healthy development of our youth, families, community, state and nation. To honor the organizations commitment to Sylacauga and the surrounding area, NEMAK, which is currently launching its first structural components, 4 piece battery housings for BMW, presented a check worth $20,000 to SAFE at the celebration.
“We wanted to give back to the community and part of that is this donation to SAFE to help fund their programs and help the community,” said John Parrish. Parrish is the Human Resources Operations Senior Specialist with NEMAK. “We intend for SAFE to use this money to fill the holes that their grant money and funds can’t fill.”
“Nemak is thrilled to have the opportunity to give back to this community. It is very important for us to be involved with organizations like this in the community,” added Human Resources Manager for NEMAK Steve Barlow.
$20,000 is a large sum of money that SAFE can use in many different facets. “I don’t really have the words to describe what this donation and the day overall will do for us,” said Executive Director of SAFE Margaret Morton. “This was a celebration of the people who have been inveigled with SAFE and for those who have made commitments to our organization. Today was wonderful, and the investment from NEMAK springboards us towards our goals.”
To honor the investment NEMAK made with SAFE, world renown marble sculptor Craigger Browne carved a magnificent piece of art and unveiled it to representatives from NEMAK on Tuesday. The piece, titled “The Dawning” represents the new relationship between SAFE and NEMAK. He said Morton wanted a piece to show how excited she was about the relationship. “This piece symbolizes what SAFE does,” explained Browne. “They shed light on the darkness of despair.”
A haiku written by Browne encapuslates the meaning behind the piece and SAFE’s mission. It reads “As light breaks beyond, darkness creeps into shadows, cast away by dawn.” Browne explained that there is no darkness in light, and SAFE is trying to remove the darkness from the Sylacauga community.
Jeremy Law for SylacaugaNews.com | © 2017, SylacaugaNews.com/Marble City Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
