With the help of Bill Engvall, the United Way of Williamson County raised $68,000 during a charity benefit headlined by the comedian and actor March 7.

Engvall's stand-up comedy event is held every other year and honors his sister Janet Engvall McTigue, a former executive director of the Georgetown Area United Way; she died in 2007. Nearly 1,200 people attended the 2013 fundraiser, helping the organization raise significantly more than in 2011.

"The amount we raised this year is a 60 percent increase over two years ago. That is just plain amazing," said LeAnn Powers, chief professional officer of UWWC. "What a difference those monies will make in our community. And what a great tribute this is to Janet and the work that was so very important to her."

During the event, UWWC presented the 2013 Janet Engvall McTigue Advancing Excellence Award to Annunciation Maternity Home, along with a check for $10,000.

AMH provides women and teens, and their children, with housing, educational opportunities and access to health services to empower them in their journey toward independence.

According to the UWWC, AMH is currently the only licensed, long-term maternity home in Central Texas that provides free services for young women who are experiencing crisis pregnancies.

"The award will help us achieve national accreditation as a maternity home," said Christie Aaronson, AMH co-founder and executive director. "This process will involve a detailed review and analysis of our internal operations, administrative functions and service delivery. By measuring what we do against international standards of best practices, we will be better able to provide exceptional levels of service to our clients well into the future."

Past recipients of the award, which was established in 2009, include Hope Alliance, WBC Opportunities, Samaritan Center for Counseling and Pastoral Care, and the Literacy Council of Williamson County.