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United Way sets $3.8 million goal (Sep 10, 2008)
By MARK A. CLAFFEY
Staff Writer
DELAWARE - The United Way of Delaware County announced a fundraising goal of $3.8 million Tuesday during its 2008 Campaign Kickoff breakfast.
"It's a formidable goal," said United Way of Delaware County campaign chair, Mark Bergstedt. "It's only 7 percent over what we raised last year."
Bergstedt said the theme of this year's campaign is "Live United" with the focus on contributions going to help education, income and health.
Tuesday's kickoff breakfast was held at Brookshire Catering Facility in Greif Park and featured Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith as the guest speaker.
Smith has been the athletic director at OSU for the past four years and oversees a department with more than 900 student athletes in 36 sports with a revenue of more than $110 million.
Bergstedt joked that Smith was spending time in Delaware County Tuesday to be at the United Way event and delayed his trip to "sunny Los Angeles" for the OSU-University of Southern California football gamed scheduled to kick off at 8 p.m. Saturday.
Smith compared the work of United Way volunteers to that of a football team.
"This is a team effort and like most teams you all are working to accomplish a goal," he said. "In our case Saturday, we will be trying to outscore a good Trojan team."
Smith told the audience of community and business leaders of a time when he first got settled in Columbus and was out jogging near his home.
"I used to jog on a trail by our house and every day I would reach a ford in that road and go right," Smith said. "One day, I turned left and couldn't believe that there were homeless people living just a few feet from my house.
Smith said he then started turning left everyday when he jogged and also started leaving items like clothing for those less fortunate. He said he also started asking his neighbors to do the same.
"You people here today are the ones dropping something off," he said.
Smith said a team is only as strong as its individuals and the United Way has an excellent foundation and does good work. He said he is convinced that the United Way of Delaware County will more than reach its goal this year.
"You should exceed your goal, not just meet your goal," Smith said.
United Way contributions support programs and services that help children and youth achieve their potential. It promotes financial stability and self-sufficiency and is focused on improving the health of Delaware County residents by helping to provide for hearing screenings for newborns to substance abuse interventions for adults and a variety of health-related services for senior citizens.
All dollars contributed to the local United Way stay here in the community, Bergstedt said.
"We unite people from all sectors of the community to work together on key local issues," he said.
For more information about this year's Live United campaign, contact United Way of Delaware County, 40 North Sandusky St., PO Box 319, Delaware at 740-369-9618.
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