The United Way of Leavenworth County should be getting its rest now, because come first thing next Friday, it will be in full gear.
At 7 a.m. Sept. 10 at Hallmark in Leavenworth, the United Way will kick off its 2010 campaign with a breakfast for volunteers and participating organizations in the United Way.
The campaign will last until Nov. 19, according to United Way Executive Director Derald Linn. The fundraising goal for that period is $375,000, the same goal as the previous year’s campaign, he said.
“The goal is set by the board of directors,” Linn said. “We evaluate past performances, of course, and the economy and what the local economy is doing.”
Because of the uncertainty of the current economic climate, Linn said the board decided to keep the same goal.
But Blake Waters, this year’s campaign chairman, said he is hopeful that the United Way could be able to exceed that goal.
“The need is much bigger than the $375,000 goal,” he said.
Funds raised during the United Way campaign are distributed to a number of human service agencies, including the St. Vincent Clinic, the Richard Allen Cultural Center and the Alliance Against Family Violence in Leavenworth, in addition to other entities like Children’s Mercy Hospital.
The theme for the year’s campaign is “Keep the Spirit Alive in Year 55,” a nod to the number of years the United Way has operated in Leavenworth County.
“That makes it a little bit special to us,” he said.
In those 55 years, Linn said the community has shown its support for the United Way and its agencies, no matter the economic situation.
But this year, Linn said there are some new features that he said are aimed at increasing awareness of the campaign.
The first is a new promotional video specific to Leavenworth County that Linn said will showcase what the organization does in the community and features testimonials from leaders of the agencies that receive United Way funding.
He said the other new idea put into practice for this year’s campaign is the production of a number of banners that will be hung around town. And the organization will have a booth at Leavenworth’s First City Festival, scheduled for next weekend.
All are aimed at increasing the visibility of the United Way, Linn said.
Waters said board members and volunteers plan to take a proactive role in that process as well, meeting with area companies and rallying the campaign’s “pacesetters” — larger contributors like Armed Forces Insurance and Hallmark.
“We want people to think about the United Way when it comes to giving money,” Linn said.
