United Way names Flashback King candidates for August fundraiser

Oxford Galleria I & II will present the seventh annual United Way Flashback Bash at the Oxford Conference Center on Saturday, Aug. 1, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., as United Way of Oxford-Lafayette County turns the event into its signature fundraiser for local programs. The nonprofit is using the bash and its Flashback Court format to draw donations, ticket sales and sponsorships for the year ahead.

United Way says the money raised will support initiatives in four local impact areas: healthy community, youth opportunity, financial security and community resiliency. That work sits at the center of the organization’s mission in Oxford and Lafayette County, where the fundraiser is meant to help sustain programs that reach residents across those categories.

The event will also lean on a familiar lineup designed to make the evening feel like a community celebration. Almost Famous will provide entertainment, Taylor Grocery Special Events Catering will handle food, and Oxford PhotoBomb will be part of the night’s activities. United Way has been promoting the bash as a chance to flash back for the community’s future, tying the throwback theme to the practical work the organization funds locally.

The local United Way traces its roots back to 1970, when it was incorporated as the United Fund. Dr. Robert Khayat chaired its first campaign in 1971, and the organization joined the United Way network in 1975. Its office is at 440 N. Lamar Blvd., Suite 5, in Oxford.

The August fundraiser lands as one of the organization’s highest-profile annual efforts to keep local support flowing through Oxford-Lafayette County, with the Flashback Court system turning turnout into direct financial backing for the nonprofit’s work.