The United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley and Williams hosted an appreciation breakfast Wednesday, Nov. 30 at Wheeling Island Hotel Casino Racetrack to thank those in attendance for helping the United Way reach a funding goal toward the 2016-2017 United Way Campaign. The breakfast was sponsored by Williams, who pledged to match up to $100,000 in donations received for the event.
The campaign is currently at 40 percent of its $810,000 goal.
The event also featured the presentation of the Building a Better Community Award.
“We are so grateful to our donors and Williams for making this contribution to our campaign,” Lynn Wallace, Campaign Co-Chair, said. “This will certainly help us reach our goal. When you consider that 99 cents of each dollar contributed to the Campaign stays right here in our area, these donations will mean so much to our member agencies who are working to meet the needs of our friends and neighbors.”
Wallace co-chairs the Campaign with Mollie Neely of Williams.
George Smoulder, executive director of the United Way, thanked Williams for their support of the United Way Campaign.
Smoulder also thanked the donors present and outlined the work of the 31 United Way member agencies as they meet the needs in the community.
“You never know when it will turn, and you will go from giving help to needing help,” Smoulder said.
During the breakfast, Stuart Bloch, of Hazlett Burt & Watson and long-time Campaign Cabinet volunteer, was presented with the Building a Better Community Award. He was recognized for his years of serving on the Special Accounts Division of the Campaign Cabinet.
Bernie Smith, Hazlett Burt & Watson, and president of the United Way board of directors, made the presentation.
“I’ve always felt that the success of the United Way says a lot about the community where we live,” Bloch said in his acceptance remarks.
He praised Smoulder’s work for the United Way saying, “This is one of the more successful United Ways in the state, and the turnout today is an indication of how people feel about the United Way,” Bloch said. “I feel very strongly George will drive us to the goal.”