The United Way campaign in Kahite for October set a record, according to organizers of the effort.
Almost $38,000 was raised for donation to organizations that include Boy Scouts of America, CASA of Monroe County, Boys & Girls Club of Monroe County and the Monroe County Rescue Squad.
The campaign, which ran for just 31 days, is shorter than many such drives but has proven quite productive, Ann Parkhill, drive chairwoman, said.
Kahite’s goal is participation, not dollars, she said.
“Rather than setting a total fundraising goal, we set a goal of trying to get as many people to participate as possible,” Parkhill said.
This year, the goal was 50% participation and the result was 62% of the 540 homes in Kahite participated, she said.
“They were very generous,” Parkhill said. “No amount is too small. They can give $5 or they can give $2,000.”
The Kahite team hosted an appreciation night in the middle of October to say “thank you” and for residents to enjoy a free hot dog dinner, where more than 200 meals were served. Parkhill said all the food was donated by local businesses, including Benton’s, Food City and Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Money collected will be used to benefit the 15 agencies supported by United Way of Monroe County. More than 99% of all donations received go to supported agencies in the county, Parkhill said.
“Knowing that the money stays local encourages a lot of people to donate,” she said.
UWMC owns its own building and leases 80% of the space to others. Rent collected covers all local, general and administrative costs of the organization, she said.
