By Bob Belcher
Corsicana Daily Sun
Corsicana —
Thursday’s luncheon to honor corporate contributors to United Way of Navarro County served another purpose as well — a celebration marking the agency having reached its fund-raising goal for 2010.
“I’m proud to announce we’ve exceeded our campaign goal of $375,000,” campaign chairman Paul Hooper told the lunch gathering, news that was met with a round of applause. The total shown on the “thermometer scale” projected on the wall was $382,113, exceeding the year’s goal by over $7,000.
“I am touched by and extremely grateful for the compassion and generosity of this community,” said Ellen Block, executive director of United Way of Navarro County. “This year has been more challenging than any time in recent years, and yet, the majority of our workplace, corporate, foundation, and individual contributions have met or exceeded the previous year.”
Block, Hooper, and Susan Bruce, UWNC president, took turns during the luncheon presenting awards to several of the corporate donors to this year’s campaign drive, including Kohl’s Distribution Center and Call Center, this year’s top workplace contributor, with combined employee and company contributions of $33,327.15.
Bruce told the story of her presentation to the Kohl’s employees, and how one man at the gathering said “I think we can raise $30,000.”
“I made a bargain,” Bruce said. “I said ‘If you raise $30,000, I will buy donuts for your entire facility’.
“$360 in donuts, it was,” she added, as Kohl’s met and exceeded that total, adding “it takes just one person standing up and saying ‘we can make a difference,’” to be successful.
United Way board members and staffers made 22 such presentations in workplaces and businesses in the past campaign year, and hope to do 50 presentations for the next fund-raising effort.
Awards were presented to 11 business and organizations Thursday, recognizing the top 10 drives, and one “Honorable Mention” award, presented to the Corsicana Independent School District for its campaign that raised $3,761.
Also honored Thursday and their campaign amounts:
• True Value Distribution Center, $28,289.50.
• H-E-B Grocery, $28,132.00.
• Guardian Industries, $17,000.00.
• Community National Bank and Trust, $12,666.00.
• Oil City Iron Works, $10,550.00.
• Navarro Regional Hospital, $6,290.00.
• Pactiv Corporation, $5,882.00.
• Atmos Energy, $5,335.66.
• TXI, $5,308.49.
The 2010 United Way campaign also had participation from 14 trusts and foundations, corporate contributions from 19 Navarro County companies, along with countless individual contributions throughout the year.
Also receiving awards Thursday were Hooper, for his work as campaign chairman, and a new award for media, presented to the Corsicana Daily Sun and the Navarro County Times.
Next year’s campaign for United Way of Navarro County will hold a “kickoff luncheon” on Sept. 10, 2010, at the Corsicana Country Club.
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Bob Belcher may be reached by e-mail at belcher@corsicanadailysun.com. Want to “Soundoff” on this story? E-mail: soundoff@corsicanadailysun.com
