Lighthouse and Necco Team Up for Flying Pig Relay to Support Hamilton County Job and Family Services
Some may consider Beau Necco, CEO of Necco, Inc. and Paul Haffner, CEO of Lighthouse Youth & Family Services to be competitors. In reality, they are friends. In a couple weeks, they will be teammates.
Beau and Paul are half of the 4-person Corporate Relay Team running in the 20th annual Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon on May 6, 2018. Their team, “For The Kids,” is hoping to raise money for Hamilton County Job and Family Services’ FAMILY (Friends and Advocates Making Investments in Local Youth) Fund. Other team members include Lighthouse Community School Staff Member, Elissa Veite and Beau’s partner, Heather Martin.
Both Necco, Inc. and Lighthouse contract with government agencies like Hamilton 
County in Ohio to place foster children in loving and protective homes until stability is achieved. Public funds are intended to cover the child’s basic expenses, like housing, food, and healthcare. Other incidentals, such as class trips, sports leagues, tutoring or a graduation cap and gown are not covered, even though each can greatly impact a child’s sense of self-worth, belongingness, and chances for success. The FAMILY Fund is a tax-exempt charitable fund set up to cover these additional costs.
“I think everyone would agree these types of expenses are important and integral to any child having a normal experience in life,” said Hamilton County Commissioner Chris Monzel. “These children come from tough situations; we want to make their lives easier, not harder. We have found a way to help without adding to the taxpayer burden.”
It was Paul who approached Beau about the idea of putting together a relay team to raise money for The FAMILY Fund. Not one to ever turn down a challenge, Beau agreed.
As an added incentive, the Corporate Relay winner receives $1500 to donate to the charity of their choice. Team “For the Kids” hopes to finish first, but just in case they don’t, the team set a fundraising goal of $1000 for The FAMILY Fund.
“The FAMILY Fund helps create experiences and memories while ensuring normalcy in a foster child’s life,” said Moira Weir, Director of Hamilton County Job and Family Services. “Athletic fees, college visits, summer camps, technology to aid education – these are all extras that might be out of reach for a foster child or family. The FAMILY Fund helps us ensure foster children are able to have the same wonderful, youthful experiences and memories as their peers. We are so grateful to Beau, Paul, Heather and Elissa – and the entire Necco and Lighthouse teams – for supporting our efforts to provide those memories and experiences,” she added.