Couple issues ‘Curd Challenge’ fundraiser

A Corbin doctor and his wife are issuing a challenge to area residents in order to encourage them to give to a local charitable foundation, and they are willing to match up to $1,200 in donations, the couple announced Tuesday afternoon.

The challenge is being issued by Sandi Curd and her husband, Dr. Bryan Curd, because of their belief in the Upper Cumberland Community Foundation (UCCF), the couple wrote in their challenge, which was e-mailed to the News Journal.

Upper Cumberland’s is the only regional Community Foundation Affiliate in Kentucky.

The Upper Cumberland Community Foundation works to raise money for Whitley, Bell, Laurel, and Knox counties. It works specifically to transform the region through charitable giving, community involvement and by trying to develop important strategic partnerships. UCCF is raising money to grant back out to organizations that do good and important work where we live. It also has a permanent endowment with the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky that was created to ensure that it has money for area communities in the future too, according to an online description of the program.

UCCF made grants to the White Flag Ministry for winter relief, the Corbin Public Library for its Summer Reading Program, Appalachian Service Project for home repairs in Clay County, The Whitley County Farmers’ Market, the Laurel County Literacy Council, and the Appalachian Mentoring Project.

In addition, when COVID-19 struck and closed down senior citizens centers in Corbin and Williamsburg, UCCF gave money for meals for both centers.

Also, as a result of COVID-19, it donated Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for Clay County’s EMS, fire department and police, joined the Main Street Program to provide financial assistance to downtown independently owned retail businesses in Pineville, and purchased seed and supplies so that Crater of Hope could share its learning project with Middlesboro children.

“When COVID-19 laid off workers, Upper Cumberland Community Foundation gave money to the Knox and Barbourville Food Pantry to help with the increased demand … and when 2021 flash flooding devastated Oneida, Upper Cumberlands Community Foundation raised money for flood relief and help distribute applications to victims,” the couple wrote in their email.

“Join Bryan and I in growing this valuable work by visiting https://www.kygives.org/ click on donate, type Upper Cumberland then enter a figure that will be matched by the Curd Challenge,” the couple wrote in the challenge.