Public Invited to United Way Celebration

United Way of Southeast Missouri invites everyone in the communities it serves to help celebrate the success of its 2015 annual campaign on Thursday, April 14, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Jackson Civic Center.

The event not only celebrates the funds raised to strengthen the community, but also acknowledges the many donors and volunteers who turned compassion into action during the 2015-16 campaign.

Highlights of the celebration include award presentations, announcements of Step Up prizes and winners (those who donated for the first time or increased their giving by $1 per week), recognition of the Top 20 workplaces that helped raise a significant portion of the funds, and an interactive game utilizing smartphones.

Elizabeth Shelton, Executive Director, said, “We are excited to have the celebration in Jackson this year as part of our commitment to strengthen relationships in all of the communities we serve. This will be a fun opportunity to thank our valuable donors and volunteers, and we hope everyone will join us.”

Awards to be presented include: WOW Awards for the workplace with the largest increase in the number of Leadership Society members, the largest percentage increase in a workplace that raised over $1,000, and the highest per capita giving for a workplace with more than 10 employees; Employee Campaign Coordinator of the Year for an ECC who went above and beyond in managing a workplace campaign; Ambassador of the Year for a Campaign Ambassador who demonstrated exceptional commitment to the annual campaign; Spirit of Giving for an individual who invested significant time and/or financial resources; Spirit of Community for a workplace that has been a leader in supporting United Way’s work; Spirit of Caring for an organization that promotes, supports and embraces United Way’s work; and the Fran Rediger Award of Excellence for an outstanding Read to Succeed volunteer.