In an evening at the Beachside Resort in Key West, the community celebrated Andy Griffiths’ retirement after 32 years on the Monroe County School Board, raising over $70,000 for United Way of Collier and the Keys (UWCK).
The Oct. 12 event celebrated Monroe County’s longest-serving elected official ahead of his retirement this month. Proceeds from the celebration will benefit UWCK initiatives, including Success by 6, which provides preschool scholarships for children from low-income families. With 43% of Monroe County families living paycheck to paycheck, this support helps ensure that more local children have access to resources to thrive. Contributions to Success by 6 are matched dollar-for-dollar with state funding.
“We’re incredibly thankful to Andy for dedicating his retirement celebration to United Way and the vital work we do,” said Leah Stockton, UWCK Keys Area president. “These funds will help us continue making a lasting impact in our community.”
Griffiths led initiatives like the half-mill property tax increase to enhance teacher salaries — a measure conceived of by local education advocate John Padget and supported and renewed by county voters since 2004. Griffiths has held leadership roles in the Florida School Boards Association and Florida United Way and has volunteered with many local nonprofits.More information is at uwcollierkeys.org.
