(Sarah A. Miller/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

The United Way of Smith County has kicked off its 77th fundraising campaign, setting a goal to reach 8,500 participants. That would be a 10 percent increase over last year.

About 300 people attended Thursday’s kickoff at The Cascades Golf & Country Club in Tyler. The event served as an opportunity to call attention to the work of the nonprofit and how the money it raises stays local and impacts the lives of one out of every four people in Smith County.

Since 1940, the local United Way has raised more than $67 million. In recent years, the annual campaign has brought in about $1.5 million for the agencies it funds.

“We’re about changing things in the community and we’re (going to) do that together this year,” Executive Director Nan Moore said.

Keynote speaker, former Dallas Cowboys fullback Daryl “Moose” Johnston, shared thoughts about football, his life as a broadcaster and the work of the United Way.

He praised the United Way for its work, how it knows and identifies the needs in a community and works effectively to address those needs.

“Creating lasting change as opposed to a temporary fix, that’s what the United Way does in communities,” Johnston said. “They create lasting change.”

Johnston took questions from the audience and the first one involved his thoughts about the prospect of Johnny Manziel ever returning to professional football.

“He’s got a lot of work ahead of him …” Johnston said. “Johnny Manziel has to get back to the point where he shows these people football is the most important thing in his life right now.”

Another person asked what football analysts do the whole week between Sunday night football games.

Johnston said a lot of the work done early in the week is to ensure that he doesn’t ask a coach a question he should already know the answer to.

To do this, he reads articles about the teams from their hometown publications and from online writers he respects. In addition, early on in the season, he aims to watch tape from at least two matchups per team.

On Friday of each week, he flies out to attend the home team’s practice and from there the on-site work begins.

Johnston also talked about New England Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick, who he said could be very open when talking about non game-related things; and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), the condition that has led to player suicides and other debilitating symptoms.

Regarding the latter, he said he would like to see research expand through the sharing of samples and the consideration of other sports such as boxing, hockey and soccer.

He affirmed the existence of an issue – “I am aware that something is going on” – but also said, “The game has never been safer than it is right now,” giving as examples, the baseline testing done on football players before the start of each season, the equipment they use and the return-to-play guidelines.

He said his first exposure to the United Way was as a child watching football. It was in the 1970s when Roger Staubach did the first ad for the nonprofit. And more than 40 years later, the partnership continues.

“That’s how powerful the United Way and NFL relationship has been,” Johnston said.

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A CLOSER LOOK

Visit uwsmithcounty.org for more information about the nonprofit and how to get involved.