The Emporia Gazette

May 28, 2012

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Over the past three years the United Way of the Flint Hills has raised about $1.7 million for the community. This year the United Way will add $575,500 to that number, bringing the amount of money it has raised in four years to $2.2 million.

The money benefits about 10,000 people each year.

“We’re very pleased with what the community has done,” said Dean Hollenbeck, drive chair. “We feel really, really good. We’re pleased that we got to $575,000.”

The United Way’s goal was $600,000. Hollenbeck and Jami Reever, executive director, said although the drive fell a little short some fundraising will continue.

Reever and Hollenbeck spoke at a luncheon today, when they announced how much money was raised for this year’s campaign.

“We should all be proud,” Hollenbeck told the crowd today at The Granada Theatre. “There are a lot of good things happening in this community.”

Hollenbeck and Reever said they knew before starting the campaign in September that it was going to be a challenging year to raise money.

“We knew there was issues with the economy. That’s always part of our discussions,” Hollenbeck said. “But we’re very pleased with what the community has done.”

The past two years have brought in $550,000 and $600,000 from fundraising efforts, Reever said, so $575,500 this year is within the range of what has been raised before.

Hollenbeck and Reever said the campaign changed many times, even in the past few weeks.

The United Way reached the $500,000 mark on Dec. 17, 2010, and two weeks later had a total of $550,000. Reever said in the past week the community has given about $15,000.

Hollenbeck said in the future the campaign will put more focus on engaging the surrounding communities.

Reever and Hollenbeck announced in local media outlets in December that the drive was going slower than expected. As a response, Reever said she received many checks from both first-time donors and people who had already donated.

Hollenbeck said as cold weather continues to grip the region more people will need the United Way community partner’s services.

“There’s going to be a bump of people because of the snow storm and energy costs who are really going to be looking at our partners for help,” Hollenbeck said. “With 21 partners that’s a good thing.”