Although the 2018 United Way campaign is still several months away, the Tellico Village UW steering committee has already started working to organize and execute another successful campaign.
The committee operates as a subsidiary of United Way of Loudon County, managing what, over the course of the years, has amounted to an effort that raised more than 20 percent of the total funds raised by UW in the county.
All of the UW governance is staffed, with the exception of the executive director, by unpaid volunteers. Their efforts are absolutely critical so that the campaign achieves its annual fundraising goals.
The TV Steering Committee has been in existence and operational for almost 20 years. Several of the pillars of that organization, Andy Ewing and Bob Mugge specifically, have been members since its inception. They have decided that it is time to step aside to make way for new faces with new ideas and higher levels of energy. So this is an appeal for residents of the Village to step up and join the committee to help continue the excellent performance it has achieved over the course of its long history.
What is involved and how much effort does it take? With planning for the campaign, and the campaign itself, the committee’s activity takes place over the course of a five-month period from mid-June to mid-November.
The effort is front loaded primarily in the first three months when planning for the street fair, a unique feature of the TV campaign, and fundraising are accomplished. This involves meetings about every three weeks, which are generally about 90 minutes in duration, and outside activities involved in executing tasks assigned for various aspects of each of these activities. This involves approximately five to 15 hours of effort each month.
The 2018 Street Fair is scheduled for 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Oct. 6 in the Village square, featuring exhibits by partner agencies, free hot dogs, water and cookies, DJ Lou and a vehicle show staged by the Corvette and Vintage Car and Motorcycles clubs. Planning is also underway to include a business show, which would have informational exhibits by member firms of the Tellico Village Business Alliance.
By joining the committee, you would directly contribute to helping residents of the county who are less fortunate than those of us who live in the Village, although several Village organizations and individuals are beneficiaries of grants as well. The TV organizations that are partners include Tellico Village Volunteer Fire Department, the Tellico Village Computer Users Club Technology Access Program and STAYinTV, which benefits residents who receive in-home support from the Senior Citizen’s Home Assistance Service.
There are 32 other partner agencies that also receive UW grants. Among those most familiar to Villagers are the Good Samaritan Center, Crisis Center for Women-Immediate Vital Assistance Services, the Shangri-La Therapeutic Academy of Riding, Boys & Girls Club of Loudon County, CASA of the Ninth Judicial District, the Kidney Foundation and numerous others. Each uses their UW grants to assist clientele in improving quality of life.
If you are interested in joining the TV steering committee, contact either Dick Kolasheski at 865-458-3483 or richard.kolasheski@aol.com, or Lori Hall at lorihall255@gmail.com.
The next planning meeting is scheduled for 2 p.m. July 9 in the small conference room at the Tellico Village Property Owners Association offices. We hope to see you there.
