By Shavonne Potts
spotts@salisburypost.com
SALISBURY – Pledges to this year’s Rowan County United Way campaign have reached 61.5 percent of the campaign’s goal, having raised nearly $1.1 million.
The new total was announced Wednesday during a report meeting at Team Chevrolet that also included musical thanks from elementary school students.
As a thank you to Day of Caring volunteers, a group of second-graders from Koontz Elementary School sang “Lend a Helping Hand.” The energetic children invited everyone to sing along and sparked a message of hope through giving.
Four students from Sacred Heart Catholic School recited a poem about giving and shared how they had raised $389 during the school’s fundraiser. The school gave students an opportunity to pay $2 to not wear their uniform for a day.
The Sept. 7-Nov. 14 campaign has a goal of $1.78 million.
Susan Giessler, wearing a Sock Monkey hat, reported on F&M Bank’s individual campaign. She said the company went “bananas” going from “branch to branch” raising $53,371 for its fundraiser.
Dr. Alan King challenged the volunteers in the room to ask businesses they frequent to contribute to the campaign.
Four Salisbury automotive dealers – Ben Mynatt Nissan, Team Chevrolet, Gerry Wood Auto Group and Cloninger Ford/Toyota – team up to award a new car to a United Way contributor.
The totals by division so far are:
• President’s – $105,793.92 or 27.20 percent
• Chairman’s – $230,229 or 56 percent of goal
• Industrial 1 – $24,685.69 or 51.24 percent
• Industrial 2 – $50,904.34 or 106.05 percent
• Commercial 1 – $29,276.67 or 35.77 percent
• Commercial 2 – $85,225.22 or 89.71 percent
• Commercial 3 – $37,962.90 or 61.23 percent
• Public Employees – $113,538.69 or 73.25 percent
• Education – $174,026.94 or 89.31 percent
• Community Business – $3,169 or 63.38 percent
• Special Gifts – $122,237 or 84.30 percent
• Professionals – $62,070.36 or 56.66 percent
• Miscellaneous – $59,866.18 or 126.45 percent
The final meeting is Nov. 7 at Cloninger Ford/Toyota. The campaign finale will be Nov. 14 from 5:30-7 p.m. at Carson High School. Organizers drew three names of people who will be in the running to win a car at each meeting. This week’s names were Marcus Litaker and Cindy Ingram, both of Freightliner, and Janet Karriker of Bank of North Carolina.
Contact reporter Shavonne Potts at 704-797-4253.