By Susan Redden
sredden@joplinglobe.com
CARTHAGE, Mo. — The campaign will continue through February, so time remains for the Carthage Area United Way to meet its fundraising goal for the year, said Jenny Mansfield, the agency’s executive director.
This year’s effort has generated pledges totaling $302,852, falling just short of the $310,000 campaign goal, according to an announcement at the group’s annual meeting and awards banquet last week.
“We think that’s positive, with the state of the economy,” Mansfield said. “But some of those are pledges that could be impacted by the economy, so we’re going to be very conservative and careful in our budgeting.”
The annual goal was unchanged from that of the year before, and Mansfield said pledges to date are slightly ahead of the previous year’s pace.
Campaign volunteers also were honored at Thursday’s banquet, which attracted more than 100 people to the Family Life Center of the First Baptist Church.
Awards presented during the banquet by Lora Phelps, campaign chairwoman, were:
n Chairman’s award, to Jordan Hamilton.
n 110 percent awards, to Debbie Stephens, Carthage schools, Future Business Leaders of America; Nora Tebbets and Dave Austin, of Leggett & Platt; Gina Felix, Carthage Press; Nancy Encarnacion, Arvest Bank; Alan Snow, Leggett & Platt printing services; Brian Bisbee, Carthage Crisis Center; the Carthage Fire Department; Stan Schmidt, Schmidt and Associates; and Melody Thompson and Wayne Wilson, both with Southwest Missouri Bank.
Mansfield said the campaign’s major honor, the Spirit of Giving Award, went to David Haffner, president of Leggett & Platt Inc., and was presented earlier by Darren Collier, board chairman.
Agencies funded by the campaign are ACHE Dental Clinic, Southwest Missouri Chapter of the American Red Cross, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Ozark Trails Council of Boy Scouts of America, Carthage Crisis Center, Carthage Crosslines Ministries, Cerebral Palsy Center of Tri-County, Children’s Mercy Hospital, Citizens Advisory Board, Community Clinic of Carthage, Family Literacy Council, Girl Scouts of the Missouri Heartland, Jasper County 4-H, Lafayette House, Ozark Camp Quality, Carthage Salvation Army, and Special Olympics.
