Campaign Wrap-Up!

On October 14, internal United Way Campaign Coordinator, Amanda Brock (pictured below), rallied the employees with a pirate themed adventure.  Four days later, the annual goal was met! 

We are proud to announce that we again received 100% employee participation with a contribution of over $18K which is $562 more than last year!  We were also able to contribute on a corporate level $7,500!

Additionally we promised to donate $1 for every new "like" we received during October and therefore will be donating $10 more.  Thank you to all of our new Facebook friends! 

Total contribution: $26,190.95

A special thank you goes out to Mike Cohen of The Bellingham Food Bank.  He was our special guest speaker at our campaign kick-off meeting and reminded us all why our contributions are so important. 

We would also like to thank Bob Warren for his time as a Loaned Executive from BP Cherry Point Refinery.  The Loaned Executive program is such a valuable service and a large part of the success of the United Way campaign.

Treasure Map Found-Let the Adventure Begin!

Prizes, Prizes and more Prizes!

We're less than two weeks away from launching our United Way Adventure campaign and are happy to announce that we will be giving away gift certificates for lunch, free drinks, and entertainment.  To participate, please see details under the "Pledge & Win" tab.

Drawings will be held every Friday in October and the winners will be announced on our Facebook wall.  The sooner you pledge the more chances you have to win!

Drawing Dates:
October 7
October 14
October 21
October 28

Good luck!

United Way of Whatcom County Kicks off Fall Campaign

The United Way of Whatcom County kicked off its Fall 2011 campaign Sept. 8 with a sold-out luncheon and a message about the importance of education, income and health in our community, according to Tamara Tregoning, the group's communications manager.

She wrote that the event at Bellingham Cruise Terminal brought together 235 community members, partner agencies, and sponsors to celebrate the beginning of the campaign. They're raising money to support more than 40 programs that seek to eliminate hunger, provide access to medical needs, build skills for maintaining stable income, reduce domestic abuse, provide constructive outlets for teens, and much more.

The event was made possible by contributions from Anvil Corp, ConocoPhillips, IBEW Local 191, Portionables, Puget Sound Energy, US Bank The Unity Group, Windows on the Bay Events, Courtyard Gardens, and Lithtex NW.

Peter Theisen, United Way of Whatcom County president, thanked the crowd for raising $2 million last year. Bellingham School District Superintendent Greg Baker gave the keynote address, commending the group's focus on education and reminding the audience about the importance of investing in children.

The 2011 campaign will place extra emphasis on early childhood literacy as education.

"We are aware that literacy is the most important skill early on in life," Peter said. "That skill contributes to an individual's success in all aspects of life and helps make him or her a productive member of society."

The 2011 campaign effort is made possible by local sponsors that contributed $90,000 to ensure more of the dollars raised will be spent on programs. Sponsors include BP, Matrix Services Inc., Whatcom Educational Credit Union, Samson Rope, Banner Bank, PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center, Boeing, Bellingham Cold Storage, Portionables, CH2MHill, ConocoPhillips and Puget Sound Energy.

United Way of Whatcom County board chairman Scott Corzine announced the 2011 goal is to raise $2.1 million to ensure basic needs are taken care of as well as fund new efforts to support early learning. If your organization would like to participate, call campaign director Richard Emerson at 360-733-8670.

JULIE SHIRLEY - THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

First Treasure Revealed!

Join the adventure this October to win fun prizes from great local businesses.  Check out the "Pledge & Win" tab above to find out how to participate.

Although we won't be revealing all the glorious treasures at once (there has to be some suspense right!?!), we do have a sneak peek of the fun to come.

Compliments of our friends at the Best Western Lakeway Inn, we will be giving away free drinks at Poppe's Bistro & Lounge to some lucky winners.  The winners will enjoy selections like Cosmic Cosmo, Pomegranate Fizz and what better fit for our high seas adventure then a Tropical Paradise!

Remember there will be chances to win through-out October so be sure to check back to learn what's up for grabs.  Of course, don't forget to pledge to The United Way of Whatcom County.

Ways to Give

There are two convenient ways to give to the United Way this year. 

Printable Pledge Form:  To ensure all of your donation is going to the cause of your choice, choose the printable pledge form.  This form allows you to submit cash, check or a credit card number.  You can also choose to be billed.  Since the form does not use a third party service, there are no fees associated with your contribution.

Click-N-Give:  Looking for a convenient and green way to pledge?  You can donate online with a credit card.  Please note that minimal processing fees do apply.

Links to both great options can be found on the right under "GIVE."

Custom Facebook Tab Launched!

Promoting is half the battle!  I'm proud to annouce that our campaign now has a custom Facebook tab and link from the homepage of our website.

- Amanda
Campaign Coordinator