United Way surpasses halfway mark in annual goal

Published 12:04 am Tuesday, November 1, 2022

Rowan County United Way has reached the halfway mark of its $1,375,000 goal with 57 percent raised for the 2022-2023 campaign to date.

This was announced at their third report meeting hosted by Gerry Wood Auto at Gerry Wood Honda on Wednesday.

Christa Graff, school counselor at Millbridge Elementary School, described how her school has raised about $9,411 through incentives such as jeans day, which gives employees an extra day to wear jeans in exchange for donations.

“Over half of our employees went above and beyond the minimum donation,” Graff said. She also explained how United Way impacts students daily in regards to mental health, recalling a young student who moved in from the Midwest after his mother was murdered. “We were able to use grant money from United Way to give him the counseling he needed.”

Another school that has been a leader in giving is South Rowan High School, which has increased its donations by 17 percent, according to Assistant Principal Jonathan Farmer. Currently, the school has raised over $8,000.

Three more names were drawn to be in the running for United Way’s auto giveaway, which is sponsored by Team Auto Group, Gerry Wood Auto Group, Cloninger Automotive Group and Ben Mynatt Nissan: David Carman, Rufty-Holmes Senior Center; Roosevelt Bowles, New York Air Brake; and Harrison Foreman, Rowan-Salisbury Schools. It was later discovered that David Carman had been drawn at a previous report meeting, and in order to ensure 12 finalists, four names will be drawn at their last
report meeting at Cloninger Toyota.

Campaign Cabinet members also reported updates for each of their divisions:
• President’s Division: 39.5 percent, $89,826
• Chairman’s Division: 51 percent, $80,576
• Industrial 1: 43.4 percent, $31,632
• Industrial 2: 57.1 percent, $21,351
• Nonprofits: 71.7 percent, $25,090
• Commercial 1: 67.9 percent, $33,554
• Commercial 2: 82.4 percent, $49,149
• Commercial 3: 60 percent, $29,252
• Public Employees: 93.4 percent, $96,912
• Education: 67 percent, $99,685
• Community Business, 69.7 percent, $11,153
• Professionals, 49.6 percent, $52,083

• Special Gifts, 60.9 percent, $124,934
• Miscellaneous, 45.6 percent, $49,130

For more information about this year’s United Way campaign or to make a donation, call 704-633-1802 or go to www.rowanunitedway.org.