Farewell to Ashley McDonald
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It’s a bittersweet day as we say goodbye to our Chief Meteorologist Ashley McDonald.
She’s been a part of our lives for seven years helping us to weather the storms and keeping us safe.
“Montgomery and South Alabama has embraced me and my family. They’ve seen me get engaged, get married, have my first child, now carrying my second child. So really viewers have been an extended family,” said Ashley.
Ashley has been a leader not only at Alabama News Network, but in the community through her involvement with Kiwanis and even overseas to Uganda, where she served orphans with impact ministries.
“We were able to clothe and feed nearly 600 orphans all because of the support of this community. So, again, if it wasn’t for Central and South Alabama, there would be a need there that wasn’t fulfilled. So I say thank you for that,” said Ashley.
Although her hair may have changed over the years, the last cut came when she felt led to donate 9 inches of it to a program that helps children with cancer.
“Hopefully my hair is contributing to a wig that is making another child feel beautiful,” said Ashley.
Ashley says there was a day that was a defining moment of her career.
It was April 27, 2011.
“Because it was at that moment that I realized that I did not want lives to be lost on my clock. So I started treating this much more like I was talking to my family,” said Ashley.
And as we said farwell there were smiles and maybe a few tears.
There was also an appearance by some family members, Ashley’s daughter Reagan.
Even Mayor Todd Strange came with a special announcement to proclaim May 20, 2015 as Ashley McDonald day.
All in efforts to wish her well as she begins a new chapter.
Ashley and her family will be moving to Birmingham. She will be working as a meteorologist at the CBS affiliate.
