United Way announces campaign goal at kickoff event

By Melissa Miller

Southeast Missourian

The United Way of Southeast Missouri hopes to raise $1,019,744 in its 2010-2011 fundraising campaign.

This year's goal, announced at a campaign kickoff event Thursday at Cape West 14 Cine, is lower than last year's unmet $1.2 million campaign goal.

"We had to consider the economy and set realistic expectations," said campaign co-chairman Kevin Greaser, community bank president at Alliance Bank.

The figure was determined after talking with representatives from the top 20 companies that contribute the most to United Way about what they felt were attainable goals for their companies, Greaser said.

"Maybe they've had layoffs or they felt they were stressed hitting their goal last year," Greaser said of companies' decisions to reduce their own goals.

The United Way's 2009-2010 campaign raised $1,142,858. About 70 percent of the United Way's annual donations come from its top 20 companies, which are Procter & Gamble, Saint Francis Medical Center, Southeast Missouri Hospital, Southeast Missourian, Nordenia USA, Southeast Missouri State University, AmerenUE, Jackson School District, city of Cape Girardeau, KFVS12/The Heartland CW, Schnucks, Cape Girardeau School District, AT&T, UPS, US Bank, BioKyowa Inc., The Bank of Missouri, J.C. Penney, Montgomery Bank and RM COCO.

A total of $191,000 has already been raised toward the 2010-2011 campaign goal, said Wayne Wallingford, campaign co-chairman.

This year Greaser and Wallingford are sharing the campaign chairman duties as Wallingford focuses on traditional workplace campaigns and Greaser works on increasing donations from others in the community.

This will also be the first campaign for Kim Simon, who recently joined the United Way as development director.

More than 150 companies in Southeast Missouri hold United Way campaigns offering payroll deduction as an easy way to contribute.

"We have an exciting year ahead of us and also a challenging year," said Nancy Jernigan, United Way executive director. "We're still all nervous about the economy and how it will impact our lives and our futures. Our funded partners are seeing record numbers of people and more people seeking help for the first time."

The organization's campaign theme will remain "Live United" this year, and its key campaign message will be to make people aware of the increased number of families in need.

"Those of us who have must give to those who don't have," Jernigan said.

According to the United Way's 2010-2011 campaign video:

• 4,000 local students are on free or reduced lunches;
• More than 200 local children are on a waiting list for a mentor;
• One out of four students doesn't complete high school;
• More than 440 area homes face foreclosure; and
• 60 percent of females in Cape Girardeau County face some form of abuse.

The campaign kickoff event also had a lighter side with United Way staff and volunteers performing in a spoof of the "America's Got Talent" reality show.

mmiller@semissourian.com

388-3646

Pertinent address:

247 Siemers Drive, Cape Girardeau, MO

2010-11 campaign video:

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