By Shavonne Potts
spotts@salisburypost.com
This year’s United Way campaign goal has special significance ó and that couldn’t make the agency and its volunteers happier.
The goal is to raise $1,776,000.
The original amount was $1,773,000, but longtime donor and supporter Ralph Ketner upped the ante.
Ketner recommended a goal incorporating “1776” because the number was easy to remember ó the year the Declaration of Independence was signed.
That would require $3,000 more, the United Way’s Jackie Harris told Ketner.
“OK,” Ketner recalls saying. “You talked me into it.”
Alan King is chairman for the 2009 campaign.
“It’s an exciting way to kick off the campaign and have a number for eveyrone to connect with and remember and can be better to achieve,” King said.
This year’s campaign goal had already been cut by 15 percent, prior to Ketner’s suggestion and subsequent larger donation.
The campaign committee critiques each agency’s budget to determine its needs. Each agency had already made cuts to its budget. After the board came up with its number, that’s when Ketner suggested a larger number.
“Ralph Ketner has been a tremendous support,” King said.
King said he is excited to serve Rowan County and be the United Way’s campaign chair.
“This has always been a community of caring and wanting to help one another,” King said. “Even during tough and difficult times, I’m optimistic we can achieve our goal.”
It is a challenging time economically for people who have more needs.
“So many individuals depend on the funds from this campaign,” King said.
“One of the greatest rewards any individual can enjoy is giving to others, and the United Way is certainly a way you can help others.”
The part of the campaign that will return is a car giveaway. Any person who donates $52 or more is eligible to win a car. In the past, hundreds of people participated. There are four local car dealers who will have a car on display. One of those cars will go to a United Way contributor whose name will be drawn at the end of the campaign. There will also be the Day of Caring where individuals, businesses and the like volunteer their time to do work in the community.
Through corporate drives and campaign drives from employees and their businesses, King said he hopes to see lots of people give to the United Way.
“I would like to see every citizen step up to the plate to make a donation to help others,” he said.