The 11th Annual Day of Caring presented by the United Way of Athens and Limestone County will spotlight extraordinary locals with powerful stories of inspiration, said United Way executive director Kay Young McFarland.

Three keynote speakers, Col. Cliff Broderick, Katie Stowe Atkins and pastor Tim Kennum, will present words of encouragement at the event to be held at 11:30 a.m., Tuesday at Fitness Park in Athens.

The RSVP Golden Age Band will sing at 10:30, and a hot dog and ice cream meal sponsored by Athens-Limestone Hospital and Blue Bell Creamery will be served at 11 a.m.

The Day of Caring is set aside by the United Way as a way to jump-start community members’ involvement in their neighborhoods. The United Way and its agencies invite individuals, organizations and businesses to take on and carry out projects to help make the community a better place to live. The program will honor and thank community volunteers, law officers, firefighters, emergency medical personnel and members of the armed services.

Broderick is currently executive vice-president and chief operations officer for the U.S. Space & Rocket Center and a decorated colonel of the U.S. Army retired. He will tell the story of Mike Christian.

Christian was a prisoner of war in Vietnam with Republican presidential nominee John McCain.

Christian, a native of Selma and a graduate of Butler High School was a Navy flight officer shot down and captured in 1967. While in a Vietnam POW camp, Christian fashioned a bamboo needle and with scrapes of cloth sewed an American Flag to the inside of his shirt. Christian, McCain and the other prisoners would hang Christian’s shirt up before eating each day and recite the pledge of allegiance.

After the North Vietnamese Army found the flag they beat Christian , but he still had his needle and immediately started sewing another flag for his comrades.

After returning to the states, Christian built a marina in Virginia Beach. He later died in a house fire there on Sept. 9, 1983.

Christian’s brother, Huntsville Fire and Rescue Captain Larry Christian will be recognized at the Day of Caring Program. The day will mark the 25th anniversary of his brother’s death.

The second speaker, Katie Stowe Atkins, has also defeated adversity. “Katie Stowe” is a name that represents courage, strength and perseverance. Most Tennessee Valley residents know her from the storm of news media stories that covered her near death experience more than 10 years ago and her long road to recovery.

Atkins, was a senior at Madison County High School in May of 1996. She was well known, the cheerleader captain, track team member, Student Government Association president, yearbook editor and homecoming queen. One day in May she was driving to school on Little Cove Road in Madison County when she lost control of her car, which crashed into a tree and landed in a deep ditch. She was injured but somehow managed to dial 911.

Atkins saw smoke and the car caught fire. She was entrapped except for a window she had left down to dry her wet hair. She managed to pull herself from the car through the window but could not get away because of her injuries. Emergency workers were able to recover her from the intense fire but not before she was burned over 80 percent of her body. She also suffered a broken pelvis, lacerated kidney and ruptured spleen.

Today, Atkins is the Central Gulf Coast Region Communication Specialist for the American Red Cross. She previously worked with McFarland after she finished college at Auburn University.

“She says I’ve been her mentor but I say she’d been my mentor,” McFarland said.

“Because someone was out there doing the right thing her life was saved … Katie reminds us we are our brother’s keeper,” she said.

Keenum, pastor at First Sardis Springs Baptist Church, will be the third speaker at the event. He will “give us the spiritual side of what it means to be a community,” McFarland said.

Jackie Greenhaw will be master of ceremonies, Limestone County Probate Judge Mike Davis will lead the pledge of allegiance, Athens Mayor Dan Williams will sing the national anthem, invocation will be give by pastor Larry Lockett, and Chairman of the United Way Board of Directors Stanley Menefee will give closing remarks.

The Birdie Thornton Center Singers will close the event with their rendition of “Lean On Me.”

The program is going to be “very powerful,” said McFarland. “It will ask ‘Why aren’t we doing more extraordinary things.”

To volunteer with the United Way of Athens and Limestone County or find out more for information about its agencies call (256) 233-2323.