Next Step receives $19,000 from Leadership Geauga County auction

Representatives from Leadership Geauga County recently presented a check for $19,119 to Andrea Pollock, executive director of Next Step and recipient of the Leadership Geauga 2022 Emerald Leader Award.

The check represented half of the proceeds from the “Call to the Heart” portion of the live auction at Leadership Geauga’s March 5 Emerald Ball fundraiser, according to a news release. The other half of the proceeds will support Leadership Geauga’s programs and services to the community.

“It is a great day at the office when you get to gather with the volunteers who helped organize the Emerald Ball and hand a $19,000 check to one of the most deserving organizations in Geauga County,” Leadership’s Executive Director Meredith Ashkettle said in the release. “I am overwhelmed with gratitude at the results of the 2022 “Call to the Heart” from the Emerald Ball.

“It was the largest” Call to the Heart in the history of Leadership Geauga and speaks to the amazing work Andrea is doing at Next Step and the extreme generosity of our wonderful Geauga County.”

Since 2001, Leadership Geauga has honored community leaders, whose service has enhanced Geauga County’s quality of life, by recognizing each as an “Emerald Leader” at the organization’s annual gala.

This is the fourth year that proceeds from the “Call to the Heart” portion of the Emerald Ball live auction have been donated to a local organization.

“We are thrilled with the huge donation,” Pollock stated in the release. “It will certainly help us to continue to serve young adults in the county. They come to us hopeful that we might be able to provide them with something better.

“They don’t really believe they deserve it but it is our job to tell them otherwise, to teach them that they can accomplish anything with support and care from our great community.”

Previous recipients have included the Geauga County 4-H Clubs, the Geauga Hunger Task Force, and the Geauga County Veterans Food Pantry, the release stated.