Coralville wins 'Severson Challenge'

CORALVILLE – The city of Coralville took first place in the inaugural “Severson Holiday Charity Challenge,” but it was local nonprofit organizations who were the real winners.

And the late Linda Severson is the reason why.

Employees from Johnson County and the cities of Coralville, North Liberty, Iowa City and University Heights participated in the friendly challenge to make donations to local charities in the memory of Severson.

Severson, who died of cancer in August at age 61, worked for the Metropolitan Planning Organization of Johnson County and volunteered with nonprofit organizations like the Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the Arc of Southeast Iowa, which serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Technically an Iowa City employee, she had coordinated the city of Iowa City's annual holiday donation drive.

For the challenge this past holiday season, Coralville staffers contributed 7.37 items per full-time employee to the Coralville Ecumenical Food Pantry.

Other tallies, according to a news release, were:

• City of North Liberty: 6.83 items per employee, donated to North Liberty Family Resource Centers.
• Johnson County: 1.99 items per employee, donated to Cassie's Mittens and the Crisis the Center of Johnson County.
• City of Iowa City: 1.81 items per employee, donated to Joan Buxton School Children's Aid Fund.

University Heights participated but did not want to be included in the results.

In March, Coralville will receive the "Severson Cup," an engraved traveling trophy donated by Terry Dickens, an Iowa City Council member and co-owner of Herteen & Stocker Jewelers.