By Ali Edwards

For the Salisbury Post

Rowan County United Way (RCUW) held its fourth report meeting for its annual fundraising campaign on Nov. 6.

Cloninger Toyota hosted the event, with lunch provided by Debbie Suggs Catering. Dillon and Lauren Parker of Miller Davis provided signage and media for the event.

Dystanie Richard, Capstone Recovery and divisional chair of nonprofits, welcomed attendees to the event and introduced Dillon Brewer and Ricky Williams from Cloninger Toyota. Brewer shared his personal story, highlighting the vital support he received from RCUW-funded initiatives during his childhood. Williams followed with remarks on RCUW’s dedication to fostering community engagement and encouraging impactful giving. Together, they highlighted the importance of giving back and making a difference.

Special guest Larry Cloninger of Cloninger Ford Toyota underscored the importance of giving back to the community.

Cloninger said that “United Way is a wonderful way” to contribute, encouraging attendants to recognize that “everybody can do something,” even if it is simply seeing “someone who doesn’t have a smile and giving them one back.” 

Nick Means of F&M Bank introduced Richard Reinholz, chief operating officer at the Rowan County YMCA. Reinholz explained that, with RCUW’s funding, the YMCA can offer evidence-based interventions to improve their member’s health, including diabetes prevention, Exercise as Medicine and Parkinson’s/motor disorder programs. Reinholz displayed a video testimonial of Stu Stepp, a YMCA member who benefited tremendously from these programs. Stepp was an avid runner until he suffered a stroke during an operation, drastically impairing his physical abilities. Although he acknowledges that he will likely not run marathons with the same agility as before, he explains how the YMCA’s programs and support have been instrumental in his recovery. 

Next, Dr. Jared Tice, senior vice president and chief strategy officer of Catawba College, spoke about the upcoming Service Above Self Awards. He explained that this program is a way to recognize youth or groups of students for their volunteer service and “inspire lifetime service.” Tice went on to detail the impact these youth make on the community by sharing that in the last 13 years, 265,000 volunteer hours, equating to $8 million of work, have been performed by these contributing youth in our community. The Service Above Self Awards will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2025, at Catawba’s Keppel Auditorium.

Jenny Lee, executive director of RCUW, provided details on RCUW’s ongoing campaign and explained the importance of continuing to work to meet the goal. She stated that “these are not just dollars; these are lives” and asked the attendants to “not give up; we are so close to the finish line!” Lee also spoke on RCUW’s current fundraiser with Krispy Kreme donuts, explaining that 50 percent of RCUW’s donut sales are donated back to their campaign and can be purchased now with no expiration date. This fundraiser is happening now until Dec. 3.

Lee then introduced Captain Theresa Bush of Rowan County Salvation Army to share information on their ongoing Christmas needs. Bush first asked attendants to consider volunteering to ring the iconic red kettlebell. She explained that Rowan County has nine locations for bell ringing this year and that volunteering to take a shift is exceedingly helpful. Bush also detailed the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree Project, stating that Angel Tree has always been her passion. This year, Bush explained that “over 400 angels have still not been adopted” and encouraged everyone to help if able. A Christmas tree decorated with these Angels was displayed during the report meeting, allowing attendees to choose an angel to adopt.

Furthermore, BrickEd provided a collaborative building activity entitled “Who is Missing,” in which attendees were reminded of the importance of boosting our partners to create a strong community. Dr. Shirley Dissler shared that “every single partner matters, and remember, we are here to support each other.”

Kaisha Brown, of the city of Salisbury and this year’s campaign chair, introduced each cabinet member by division. Each member reported on the successes of their individual campaigns and provided updates on their accomplishments. With the community’s help, Rowan County United Way has reached nearly 75 percent of its campaign goal, raising $802,389 in gifts and pledges so far — 72.9 percent of its total campaign goal.

• Presidents — Dr. Jared Tice: 65.6 percent of goal met with $86,933 raised.
• Chairmen’s — Jonathan Williams: 61.9 percent of goal met with $112,185 raised.
• Industrial 1 — Audrey Eudy: 91.5 percent of goal met with $45,534 raised.
• Industrial 2 — Donna Honeycutt: 79 percent of goal met with $24,643 raised. 
• Nonprofits — Dystanie Richards: 88.3 percent of goal met with $28,252 raised.
• Commercial 1 — Dale Peeler: 62.2 percent of goal met with $25,607 raised. 
• Commercial 2 — Nick Means: 48.9 percent of goal met with $29,978 raised.
• Commercial 3 — Elia Gegorek: 41.6 percent of goal met with $18,630 raised.
• Public Employees — Peter Franzese: 78.1 percent of goal met with $74,659 raised. 
• Education — Carol Ann Houpe: 66 percent of goal met with $83,994 raised. 
• Community Business — John Drye: 69.3 percent of goal met with $12,608 raised.
• Special Gifts — Kevin Auten: 106.5 percent of goal met with $158,651 raised. 
• Professionals — Gary Blabon and Elizabeth Cook: 73.9 percent of goal met with $59,860 raised.
• Miscellaneous — Kaisha Brown: 74.2 percent of goal met with $40,855 raised.

David Post oversees Leadership Giving, which currently includes 138 individuals from the various divisions who have given at the Leadership Level ($600 or more). Together, they have produced $409,660 of the total raised.

A memorable moment from the event occurred when Kevin Auten was recognized for exceeding his division’s campaign goal by reaching 106 percent, for a total of $149,000. The presentation of a whimsical Minnie Mouse headpiece elicited laughter and camaraderie among the attendees.

With the full support of local dealerships Team Auto Group, Randy Marion, Cloninger Ford Toyota and Ben Mynatt Nissan, individuals contributing $78 or more to the campaign are entered into the United Way’s Auto Giveaway. This initiative provides participants with the opportunity to win $25,000 towards the purchase of a new vehicle. At each of the four report meetings, three finalists are randomly chosen and subsequently entered into the final contest, which will occur during the Campaign Finale on Nov. 22. The names drawn on Nov. 6 were Cree Tabor (Daimler), Lynn Steen (Ben Mynatt) and Don Ambers (Innospec). 

RCUW’s Campaign Finale will be held on Friday, Nov. 22, at noon at F&M Trolley Barn and is open to the public. Lunch will be provided, and the winner of the auto giveaway will be determined.

Edwards is the administrative & branding assistant for Rowan County United Way.