| United Way getting ready for campaign |
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Posted: Wednesday, August 15, 2012 10:00 pm
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By KEVIN BOWDEN
Staff Reporter
Obion County’s United Way is gearing up for its fall fund-raising campaign, as well as a couple of other upcoming fund-raising events.
Earlier this summer, the local United Way held its annual meeting at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union City and handed out checks to 11 organizations totaling $69,000.
The United Way board of directors met Tuesday afternoon and scheduled a “Jeans Day for United Way,” a skeet shoot and a possible New Year’s Eve dance.
The local United Way serves as an umbrella fund-raising agency for non-profit organizations that serve Obion County. This fall, from September through November, United Way volunteers will send out letters seeking financial support for the agency.
On Oct. 5, the United Way will sponsor its second jeans day event. The inaugural jeans day event raised more than $2,500. The fund raiser works through businesses across the county that agree to allow their employees to wear jeans on a specific date, after they’ve paid at least $1 for a jeans day sticker.
Twins Kyle and Kurt Baggett, who serve on the United Way board, are working on the skeet shoot fund raiser. In preparation for the United Way event, which is set for Oct. 6, they will be attending a similar event this weekend that is sponsored by the Obion County Central High School FFA.
The brothers are hoping to secure a local field to hold the skeet shoot and they will also be seeking at least 40 $100 sponsors for the event.
The plan for the United Way skeet shoot is to have two-man teams compete in the one-day event.
Both events are being planned as part of the local United Way’s annual fall fund-raising campaign. The United Way board is expected to set a goal for its fall campaign at its meeting next month. Last year, the board set a goal of $75,000.
United Way executive director Michelle Creswell informed the board Tuesday she will be contacting potential corporate sponsors to see if they would be interested in supporting the local United Way.
One of the key fund-raising methods used by the United Way is payroll deductions. Letters and personal contacts by Mrs. Creswell and other United Way board members will be used this fall to sign up area businesses for payroll dedications.
As for the New Year’s Eve dance, board member Lesley Anderson is trying to put together the event through the United Way. She is looking for a venue to hold the dance, which would serve as a fund raiser for the agency.
Also at Tuesday’s meeting, it was announced the spring United Way tennis tournament raised just over $400 and Dr. Ross Clark has raised $850 through a special promotion at his Union City chiropractic clinic, Align Chiropractic. He presented a check to Mrs. Creswell at Tuesday’s meeting (see related photo, Page 13).
Board member Ryan Higginbotham also reported he has established a local United Way Facebook page on the Internet. During the coming weeks, he will be building up the page with United Way updates and digital images from United Way activities. To get to the United Way Facebook page, go to UWOC
Staff Reporter Kevin Bowden may be contacted by email at kmbowden@ucmessenger.com.
Published in The Messenger 8.15.12 |
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