Green Mountain United Way Kicks-Off Annual Campaign
Date: September 28, 2011
FROM: GREEN MOUNTAIN UNITED WAY
Contact: Madeleine C. Roy, Marketing Director
Tel: 802-647-2148
E-mail: mroy@gmunitedway.org
Wendy Rea, Campaign Chair
Marty Feltus, NEK Campaign Chair, left, with Hale Ritchie – Community Impact Award
JoEllen Calderara – Guest Speaker
Marty Feltus, NEK Campaign Chair, left, with Dave Dubois of Hannaford’s – Community Spirit Award
The 2011 – 2012 fundraising campaign for the local United Way was officially launched on September 21st at a breakfast at The Steak House on the Barre-Montpelier Road where over 80 local business leaders, representatives of non-profit organizations, volunteers and other individuals gathered.
Wendy Rea, Branch President of the Merchants Bank in Barre and this year’s GMUW Campaign Chair, very eloquently spoke to the crowd about why she volunteers in the community and why it is so important to support the United Way, in both good times and bad. “The ongoing needs of our communities must be met and Green Mountain United Way is highly instrumental in central and northeastern Vermont in helping to meet those needs.” She announced the coming year’s campaign goal has been set at $600,000.
Guest speakers, Kate Ash, the Voluntary Liaison with FEMA, and JoEllen Calderara, Chair of the Central VT Long Term Recovery Group, not only gave an update of flood recovery efforts in Central Vermont, but stirred confidence in the group on the speed and efficiency of recovery for the victims of the flood. They praised the volunteer efforts quickly put in place by different organizations and individuals and their willingness to work together.
The following awards were presented for exceptional success in the previous campaign. The Community Impact Award for outstanding and compassionate dedication to GMUW’s impact on the community was given to Hale Ritchie, who was instrumental in the development of the current Community Impact model. The Business Community Impact Award went to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of VT (accepted by Connie Warren) for their contributions of goods, services and donations that add to GMUW’s ability to support the community. The Community Spirit Award for the business that creatively puts fun into fundraising was presented to Hannaford’s of Barre (accepted by manager Dave Dubois). Ruth Brown of the National Life Group received the Campaign Champion Award for her leadership and outstanding service in the campaign. The business Thomas N. Pelletier Loaned Executive Award was awarded to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of VT for loaning one of their employees to GMUW and the individual award went to Cecile Barber who served as Loaned Executive for several weeks in the fall of 2010. Lastly, the Worksite Coordinator Award for the business that had the greatest percentage of increase in the campaign over the previous year was given to Mine Safety Appliance of Newport (accepted by Plant Manager, Rudy Chase).
For more information about this year’s GMUW fundraising campaign, visit www.gmunitedway.org or call them at 802-229-9532.