Ninety-eight percent of goal — those words from Carthage Area United Way Volunteer Chairman Lora Phelps brought about a large round of applause during Thursday afternoon’s Award Banquet.
With $310,000 as the group’s financial goal for the 2009-10 campaign, they were just $7,147.10 from reaching it.
The good news? United Way officials will continue collecting donations, and counting it toward that lofty goal, until Sunday, Feb. 28.
Even better news? The collected total of $302,852.90 exceeded last year’s collection total by nearly $10,000.
Quipped Phelps after the announcement, “please — someone out there write us a check for $7,000.”
Kidding aside, Phelps said it was a remarkable achievement, considering the now two-year-old recession had begun taking painful financial bites out of Carthage businesses and individual volunteers alike.
During the 2008-09 campaign, the organization fell well short of reaching or even exceeding its $310,000 goal.
There were some suggestions of perhaps dropping the goal down by tens of thousands of dollars, which is what past officials did between 1976-1977 and 1981-1982. In the end, however, they decided to keep it right where it was, Phelps said.
And now, with 24 days remaining in the month, the possibility of reaching that lofty goal, and making up those last two percentage points is a real possibility.
In fact, during the 45-minute banquet held inside the Carthage First Baptist Church, three checks were inked and handed over to Carthage Area United Way Director Jenny Mansfield. That increased the organization’s collected total by $647.
The annual “Spirit of Giving” award went to David S. Haffner, the president and CEO of Leggett & Platt, who went “above and beyond” with volunteering and who “exemplified success,” according to United Way President Darren Collier.
Haffner couldn’t attend the noon banquet, though his award was handed over earlier in the week.
Saying he was sincerely honored, Haffner wrote in a letter the award “will be especially cherished since it comes from decision makers right here in Southwest Missouri, where I work and live.”
It’s interesting, he continued, “that although the economy is lackluster and people are under the resultant financial stress, the citizens in this region of Missouri continue to find ways to rationalize, and indeed enjoy the intrinsic reward of, giving to help their fellow citizens.”
There were 62 “Pillar Givers” recognized this year; individuals who pledged $500 or more to the campaign. Seventeen of those 62 were new members to the campaign, officials said.
Schreiber Foods, whose two plants nabbed a Silver and Gold award, was the single largest contributor of any Carthage-based business by raising and donating $62,192.
Did you know?
Back in 1972, the Carthage Area United Way’s campaign goal was $47,524 — and they didn’t make it, raising only $40,036. Between 1972 and 2008, the organization has reached its goal 28 times, including 23 years straight, from 1985-2007. Collection totals topped $100,000 for the first time in 1985; $200,000 for the first time in 1993, and $300,000 for the first time in 2001.
