The United Way didn’t quite reach its goal of $600,000 for 2008, but it came close.
For the year, the organization raised $553,286.70.
The 28 pacesetters for the campaign raised $348,907, according to United Way of the Flint Hills director Duane Dreiling, who made his report this morning at a United Way victory breakfast at the Granada Theatre.
“The 2008 United Way fundraising campaign will probably not be on the record books,” said drive chair Connie Cahoone, “but I wonder if it should be. This year, we’ve accomplished so much, even if we didn’t make the $600,000 goal.”
Cahoone said the campaign was successful because of all the efforts of everyone involved to raise awareness of the services the United Way provides.
“We’ve struggled to raise funds this year, however so many people have stepped up to help,” Cahoone said. The campaign saw an increase in personal pledges that doubles last year’s totals. “That’s huge,” Cahoone said.
“We all did our very best to make this campaign a success,” she said. “... These are all reasons that this campaign should be in the record books.”
According to Cahoone, there will not be a decrease in total allocations submitted to the community investment committee for disbursement.
“We are very lucky to live in a place like Emporia, where people step up, help out, make pleas, come forward and do everything they can to help increase donations and to help support the people that United Way agencies support,” Cahoone said.