In 2010, the United Way of Leavenworth County will celebrate 55 years of fundraising and support of local human service organizations.
And the United Way has also named the chairman who will lead the anniversary campaign — Blake Waters, currently the senior vice president of First State Bank and Trust Company in Tonganoxie.
Waters has previously served on the United Way’s board of directors in the county. But his experience goes farther back than that — he said he served on the boards and as campaign chairman at other United Ways in Kansas.
“I think it’s really important for us to come together to bring help for those less fortunate,” he said.
Derald Linn, executive director of United Way of Leavenworth County, said in a release that he is glad to have Waters on board.
“Blake has extensive experience with involvement in the United Way. He was on the United Way board and served as campaign chair in Liberal and Garden City, Kansas, before moving to our area. He was presented the ‘Gold Award’ for setting a new fundraising record,” Linn said.
Scheduled to kick off with a volunteer and supporter breakfast Sept. 10 at Hallmark Cards in Leavenworth, the 2010 United Way campaign, with its theme “The spirit is alive in year 55!,” will run through Nov. 20 and has a fundraising goal of $375,000.
Waters said he is bringing some new ideas with him. Already, he said he has been working on measures to help get the message out about what the United Way does — personal introductions to the various organizations who receive funding and requests for advice as to how the United Way could better help them; the placement of banners identifying United Way organizations to be hung outside the offices of those who wish to participate; and a video that is being produced that will showcase testimonials from some of the area organizations who benefit from the United Way.
Waters said he hopes the result is a campaign that “personalize(s) the message to our community.”
“Folks need to know that a majority of the money given to the United Way stays local,” he said.
Among the organization’s member organizations are the Alliance Against Family Violence, the Women’s Community Y, the Richard Allen Cultural Center and Special Olympics. There are also other organizations outside of the county who benefit, like Children’s Mercy Hospital, but Waters said those services also have an impact on the Leavenworth County community.
Waters said he has long been involved in church activities with his family. But working with the United Way is different.
“What I like about it is it forces me to get out of my normal box of giving,” he said.
