United Way of Loudon County is just weeks away from starting its 2017 campaign that aims to raise $500,000, the most the nonprofit organization has ever considered locally.
The goal has United Way officials calling for a team effort to make it possible. Setting the high total comes off the heels of last campaign’s $487,500 amount raised in part to an anonymous donation given on the final week of the nonprofit organization’s year.
“It will take everybody in the county working together,” Ruth McQueen, local United Way chairwoman, said. “Of course, we think the leadership comes from the board. Loudon County is a very generous, caring county, and I think we can do it. It’s a challenge, I won’t say anything that it would be easy, but it will be challenge. I think it’s very reachable.”
United Way of Loudon County Executive Director Judy Fenton believes officials should continually push the donation total each year.
“It allows us to do more for our programs in Loudon County,” Fenton said. “It’s important to the quality of life in Loudon County that these agencies are able to grow, serve more people. The more we can fund them the more they can expand their programs and the more people they can serve in our county. The growth is important. It’s important to us, but it’s more important to the partners that we fund.”
Officials were informed earlier this year that Driving to Make a Difference, which has been held at Adesa Auto Auction in Lenoir City for seven years, will no longer be an option for fundraising. Fenton said Driving to Make a Difference typically brought in $10,000 for the county-wide campaign.
“We have to come up with another event like that or if anybody in the county knows of about a large enough lot for us to run it we’ll still run it,” Fenton said.
McQueen said United Way must strategize accordingly.
“... I think we have some strategies in place we hope just like this event today that we can tell the United Way story,” McQueen said. “The more word we can get out about the fact that United Way of Loudon County supports a variety of programs and 30 agencies, and I truly believe that the programs that United Way supports reaches lives with every person in Loudon County, whether directly or indirectly, and if we can tell the story to enough people.”
Plans for this year’s campaign should be finalized in the coming weeks, Fenton said. Twenty-eight agencies applied for assistance this year.
“It’s a significant record for Loudon County if we meet the $500,000 goal,” Fenton said. “That’s considerable growth for us and will provide a lot of good funding for our partner agencies.”
Village eyes $100K
Saturday was the Tellico Village United Way campaign kickoff, which for a third year included a street fair in the Property Owners Association Welcome Center parking lot. Tellico Village is consistently one of the top three contributors for the county-wide campaign.
Saturday’s turnout was all about awareness for the nonprofit organization, while also serving as a kickoff for the Village’s campaign goal of $100,000. Like the county-wide campaign, Tellico Village is coming off its highest contribution total to date at more than $94,000.
“It’s not a real stretch because we typically go up about 3 percent each year,” Susan Higginson, chairwoman of the Tellico Village steering committee, said. “... We’re really focused on the Village because we used to have an event at Adesa, they can’t do it anymore, and that’s the main reason we’re focused on the Village. And the Village is growing like cats and dogs, you know? We just think that they’re not aware of the great need, so this event is really trying to get people just to think about it.”
Free food was served while people perused the 15 partner agency tents, looked at vehicles from two car clubs stationed in the parking lot and listened to music played through speakers. Officials anticipated more than 600 would visit the street fair between 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Of the 15 partner agencies present Saturday, three of them directly impact Tellico Village.
Tellico Village Volunteer Fire Department Capt. Jerry Dougherty was present to answer questions from the public. The department, which asks for funding annually, was able to afford last year a vehicle battery charger, a hose for a new engine, an automated external defibrillator, a hose for an old engine and fire extinguishers. Such equipment is vital for the fire department to serve its community, Dougherty said.
“All that equipment we would not have the money for if we did not get — we wouldn’t be able to purchase that equipment,” Dougherty said. “That’s not nice equipment, that’s must-have equipment that we’re buying.”
Higginson said fundraising efforts will begin this week.
“We’ll be sending out pledges this week,” Higginson said. “They should go out this week — and this is the kickoff event so that when they get it in their mailbox they won’t just throw it away. They’ll kind of remember.”
