Dearborn Mayor John O’Reilly Jr. stands next to 9-year-old Matthew Birchenough at the United Way Torch Lighting ceremony in front of City Hall on Nov. 17. Birchenough flipped the switch to light the torch, which marks the start of the city’s annual United Way fundraising drive. Birchenough, who has cerebral palsy, attends Snow Elementary School and enjoys sports and cheering on the Detroit Red Wings. City employees contribute thousands of dollars every year to the United Way, which helps those in need throughout Dearborn and metro Detroit. For more information on donating to the United Way, call (313) 226-9200 or go to www.uwcs.org.