Marshall raised more than $60,000 for United Way
For HNN by Yuta Usuda

Marshall community collected a $61,224 donation for the United Way, a national fund-raising activity for health and social service agencies.

Starting Nov.1 and closing Jan.20, the fund-raising activity was part of the United Way of the River Cities, one of the 22 regional non-profit groups in West Virginia.

“I was really pleased,” Marshall’s United Way co-chairperson Martha Woodward said. “Particularly in a difficult year when the economy is strained and the tragedy happened, people are generous. It’s nice to see that. They always will (be generous) and come through.”

Through a captain in each of the 25 divisions, including the nursing and health college and the journalism school, at least 304 people shared their money with the project, said Woodward, executive director of the John R. Hall Center for Academic Excellence at Marshall. The amount depended on each individual and varied from $1.50 to $1,200.

There were much more people who chose a payroll deduction plan than people who donated cash or checks, said Woodward. A 50-cent contribution from every payroll equals an annual $12 contribution. By filling out a pledge card with a donation amount, many people also directly went to the payroll office, and their number was not counted, Woodward said.

Though Marshall’s goal was $75,000, the result was a good achievement to come to so close to the goal, Woodward said.

Co-organizer Dr. Barbara Tarter, assistant vice president for academic affairs and dean of enrollment management, said, “Marshall University helps a lot of different people with a variety of things. The United Way is a chance to give something back to people. It’s a way to help people who need extra help like elderly, poor, people with disability and childcare.” About 2,000 United Way groups nationally exist with 42 board of directors. All run locally, and all the money stays in each area, said Kheng Yap-McGuire, executive director of United Way of the River Cities.

Setting a goal to raise $1.9 million, which was lowered from last year’s $1.95 million because of the economy situation, the United Way of the River Cities finished with $1,869,584 in Cabell, Wayne, Lincoln, Mason counties, W.Va., and Lawrence County, Ohio, McGuire said. “It was the toughest year when economy was down because of the terrorism,” McGuire said. The result fell $31,416 short of the campaign goal, but the amount was fine, she said. “We tried very, very hard to every body.” Some people donated more than once, and more than 80 percent of people chose the payroll deduction plan, she said.

"It's very important for our community to have Marshall University to help the people and families in this area," McGuire said. "We had a great team with Marshall University. We're very thankful to everybody at Marshall, including students who gave money."

The United Way lets people select a specific agency to give their money. Tarter said, “You know where your money is going.” The 48 health and social service agencies include American Cancer Society, American Red Cross, Salvation Army and Boy Scouts.

The River Cities group had a wrapping celebration at the Raddison Hotel on Jan.28. MU raised $66,543 last year, McGuire said.

Now the donation was over, and the United Way of the River Cities will give an event for children on Marshall’s campus. “Children’s Expo” is designed to help early child development by using some displays and Legos. The program is part of “Success by Six,” a national program. “It’s important to do some of those things to children,” McGuire said. “Children’s brain power is the strongest. They can learn a lot.” The event is in the Don Morris Room of the Memorial Student Center on Marshall’s campus Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

For more information, the United Way provides a Web site at www.unitedway.org, and so does the United Way of the River Cities at www.uwriver.org.