At United Way of the Bluegrass, we are currently celebrating our centennial year. We are highlighting 100 Heroes who have been important in our fight for the basic needs, education and financial stability of our neighbors over the past century.
Today we are interviewing Frank Miklavcic, a Franklin County Board Member, Senior Games organizer and a longtime supporter of the UWBG mission.
What is your current or former role within UWBG and what does a typical day look like in this role?
I have been a Franklin County Board Member for United Way for about 16 years, and I have served as the president of the Franklin County Board. Throughout my time with UWBG, I have run the Kentucky Senior Games. The senior games were looking for a host and I thought United Way would be a good match. This brought the senior games to the Frankfort area. I’ve been involved with the senior games for about 8 years now.
National Senior Games is an organization that holds competitions for around 20 different sports. The senior games are held at the national level every other year and each state has its own qualifying competition. Although only every other year is a qualifier for nationals, Kentucky puts on around 20 different athletic competitions every year. We get anywhere from 300 to 800 participants and we’ve had athletes from 25 different states. We’ve had athletes come in from California and Arizona just to compete in certain events.
If you were encouraging someone to get involved with UWBG, what would you encourage them to do, or what advice would you give them?
I would encourage them to get involved as a volunteer in the number of different programs United Way of the Bluegrass offers. UWBG has Days of Action, senior games and many other programs. The idea is that everybody has a lot of things to do, but they also have the time to get out and volunteer. If you ask to help out for an hour or two at a time, they would be happy to have you pop in and lend a hand.
In your opinion, what positive change has UWBG made in the Bluegrass over the past 100 years?
United Way has helped other organizations. I can think of many examples where United Way has helped different organizations partner with each other. A lot of people need a lot of different types of help. United Way encourages the idea that if one organization can’t help a person, they can refer them to another organization that can help them.
What is your favorite memory with UWBG?
My favorite memory is being involved with the senior games and getting so many people from different places involved. Everyone has a different reason as to why they are competing. Some people haven’t done anything for 30 to 40 years and just decided they wanted to get involved. I had one participant email me and say they had just gotten done with their last chemo treatment and they were coming to the senior games to celebrate and compete. It’s the kind of favorite memory that involves a whole lot of memories. Meeting different people, hearing stories and seeing people get together. A lot of people get to know each other by going around and competing in different games.
Fun Questions:
If you were trying to convince someone to move to the Bluegrass area, how would you convince them?
I would talk to them about the opportunities here. It is a beautiful part of the country. There is a lot to do and a lot of different programs to get involved in.
What are your favorite place and your favorite thing to do in the Bluegrass?
I have been involved in track and field for 40 years. I’ve worked, timed and set up meets. I enjoy being involved with the kids. This encompasses a lot of what I am involved in. It’s great to get out, see different faces and see the excitement in the kids. I also enjoy the programs where we have senior athletes, like the senior games.
Thank you for being such a strong part of UWBG, Frank! We appreciate you and all that you've done.
To learn more about how we are continuing to serve the Bluegrass in 2021, click here.
Do you know someone who has worked alongside United Way of the Bluegrass in the past century who should be considered for our 100 Heroes series? Please email us at liveunited@uwbg.org to share your nomination!