United Way at 41.1 percent, ‘happy with progress’

Published 12:00 am Thursday, October 9, 2014

Money is coming in for the Rowan County United Way’s 2014-2015 campaign.
Wednesday, at a report meeting at Gerry Wood Honda, it was announced that $773,197.49 has been raised so far — 41.1 percent of the campaign’s $1,879,750 goal.
Greg Dunn, this year’s campaign chair, said, “We’re happy with the progress we’re making.”
The campaign raises money for 15 agencies in the county. And this year’s fundraising goal is 3 percent higher than last year’s.
“We’ve got 15 agencies that have been here a total of like 800 years,” Dunn said.
The agencies are: The American Red Cross, The Arc Rowan, Boy Scouts, Communities in Schools, Families First, Family Crisis Council, Literacy Council, Meals on Wheels, Rowan Rescue Squad, Rufty-Holmes Senior Center, Salvation Army, Trinity Living Center, Vocational Opportunities, Youth Services Bureau and the Hurley Family YMCA.
The campaign kicked off in mid-September, and every two weeks the divisions meet to report how much they’ve raised.
Tyler Formanek, a student at Salisbury High School, told the group he would like to have something donated to him so he can raffle it away at the next First Friday in downtown Salisbury and then donate the money from the raffle to the United Way.
At each report meeting, three names are drawn to be finalists for a drawing to win a car at the end of the campaign. The name’s drawn Wednesday were: Angie Robinson of Statesville, Thomas O’Kelly of East Spencer and Carole Croshaw of Salisbury.
People have to donate at least $52 to have their name put in the drawing.
This year’s campaign theme is “Raised Here. Stays Here. Shared Here.”

The 2014-2015 campaign totals thus far are:
Presidents — $88,608.90 or 19.7 percent of goal
Chairmans — $71,188.04 or 25.4 percent of goal
Industrial 1 — $13,980.82 or 24.7 percent of goal
Industrial 2 — $46,424.36 or 89.9 percent of goal
Commercial 1 — $29,610.57 or 51.2 percent of goal
Commercial 2 — $71,910.12 or 71.1 percent of goal
Commercial 3 — $47,702.69 or 54.8 percent of goal
Public Employees — $67,179.17 or 45.9 percent of goal
Education — $87,614.83 or 49.6 percent of goal
Community Business — $2,674.00 or 17.6 percent of goal
Professionals — $74,794.00 or 69.3 percent of goal
Special Gifts — $120,476.00 or 77.7 percent of goal
Agri Business — $500.00 or 5 percent of goal
Misc — $50,533.99 or 53.9 percent of goal
Totals — $773,197.49 or 41.1 percent of goal