The United Way of the Flint Hills will try to raise $610,000 this year, of which $272,500 already has been raised by a month-long pacesetter campaign.
Drive chair Larie Schoap announced the goal today. It’s the first time the United Way has set a goal above $600,000 since 2004, when the agency tried and failed to hit a $700,000 target. Last year’s campaign raised $604,300.
“We’re really excited about this goal,” Schoap said. “I’m going to challenge everyone to stretch their giving goals this year, so the United Way can reach its goal of $610,000.”
The United Way supports 24 agencies in the Flint Hills area, including groups such as the Girl Scouts, Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Salvation Army. A 25th agency, the Learning Connection, announced this year that it would close its doors.
Traditionally, the United Way tries to raise at least half of its goal each year through its pacesetters, 27 companies that raise money for a month before the campaign starts. Pacesetter chair Connie Cahoone said there were still about six companies that hadn’t turned in their totals yet, so that $272,500 figure likely will rise. Last year’s pacesetter campaign raised $320,000.
“I’m proud to say that more people were up (in their giving) than not,” she said.
Duane Dreiling, director of the United Way of the Flint Hills, said, “If everything comes in as expected, we should be right on pace or even a little bit ahead of that.”
The campaign could get another boost on Sept. 30, when the United Way holds its second annual Sunday brunch. The brunch will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Emporia State University Memorial Union’s Colonial Ballroom, with food prepared by ESU chef Harold Jensen.
Tickets are $30 and may be picked up at the United Way office, the Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce, the Lyon County State Bank eastern location, The Emporia Gazette and the Skyline Room at ESU.
Although the goals have gone up this year, Cahoone said, the needs are still higher yet.
“Even though we had a good campaign last year, we had $85,000 in fundable requests that we could not fund,” Cahoone said. “We can still use everything we can get.”
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Wasp (anonymous) says...
Your money would go farther by giving it directly to the organizations instead of United Way.
September 19, 2007 at 9:59 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )