United Way has reached 80 percent of its goal

The United Way of Southeast Missouri has reached 80 percent of its $1,120,000 goal.

Local companies gave their employees opportunities to make a United Way donation with some fun and innovative incentives including the best parking space, DVD players and shirts. Procter & Gamble, the Southeast Missourian, Saint Francis Medical Center and Southeast Missouri Hospital used these methods to foster employee giving. Procter & Gamble employees gave $240,503, Southeast Missouri Hospital $72,266, Southeast Missourian $40,295 and Saint Francis Medical Center $156,062.

Creative fund raising took also other paths.

Nordenia's annual employee poker tournament added more than $2,000 to employees' total contribution of $42,586. Do It Best donated proceeds from many home-cooked meals; its total donation was $9,508. Montgomery Bank held a customer appreciation at its drive-through stations. Employees at both Cape Girardeau and Jackson locations cleaned windshields and served cookies and bottled water. Their total gift was $6,377.

RM COCO spreads the benefits of giving throughout the year. Each department places donors' names in a monthly drawing for $20. The employees' 2006 donation was $21,610. Other giving includes AmerenUE, $23,551; Nestle Purina PetCare Company, $23,150; Fru-Con Construction, $6,350; US Bank, $5,809; Drury Southwest, $4,798; and Capaha Bank, $4,304.

"Our community is so lucky to have all of these generous employers who do really creative things to involve their employees in the joy of giving back to their community," said Holly Linter, resource development manager for United Way of Southeast Missouri.

For more information, contact the United Way of Southeast Missouri at 334-9634 or visit www.unitedwayofsemo.org.