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February 11, 2009

United Way breaks fund-raising record

By Joe Hadsall

jhadsall@joplinglobe.com

Though the original goal wasn’t met, members of the United Way of Southwest Missouri still celebrated a record-breaking total for fund raising in 2008.

Area businesses and individuals contributed $1.12 million in 2008 — the most raised by a United Way campaign in the group’s 85-year history. Terry Wachter, incoming president, said the amount means that the agency won’t have to cut any funding from the groups to which it donates.

“We raised enough new money that every single program will get what it was promised,” Wachter said.

The news, announced during the group’s annual meeting Wednesday, made Mary Ellen Greer sigh with relief.

“We are very dependent on the United Way,” said the executive director for the Arthritis Association of Southwest Missouri. “This will help keep our doors open.”

Kevin Wilson was named Volunteer of the Year for 2008 during the meeting at the Butcher’s Block Banquet Center. Wilson worked for the United Way for seven months and helped start the Success By 6 Mobile Resource Library project.

The amount raised in 2008 was notable in light of a downturn in the economy, said Ron Pence, chairman of the fund-raising campaign. The total was about $20,000 more than the previous year’s total.

“Along with our surge in donations was a surge in need,” Pence said. “We have more need than ever before, and this area has always been supportive of people in need.”

Though the campaign didn’t meet its goal of $1.2 million, Pence said he was thrilled with the record-breaking amount.

“If I had a dollar for every time someone said, ‘Good luck; you’re going to need it,’ then I assure you we would have hit the goal,” Pence said. “But in this economy, we raised the most money in history of our 85-year existence.”

Wachter said future goals wouldn’t be reduced in light of the economy.

“I’m proud of how we didn’t reduce our goal,” Wachter said. “We’d like to be able to set a goal of $2 million in the next five years. I believe in what we’re doing, and we’re not going to back off at all.”





Honorees



The agency honored Ron Pence, outgoing campaign chairman, and outgoing president Troy Richards during the banquet. Rob O’Brian was named chairman for the 2009 campaign, which will officially kick off in July.

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