UNITED WAY OF SUMMIT COUTY EXCEEDS CAMPAIGN GOAL

             The 2011-12 United Way/Red Cross Campaign in Summit County has been completed, and campaign staff and volunteers are pleased to report that the generous people of our community have exceed the aggressive goal of $11,250,000 set last summer.


Campaign Chair Brian Moore

Volunteer Campaign Chair Brian Moore, a partner in the law firm Roetzel & Andress, has announced that the final campaign total raised is $11,350,225.

“We are so grateful to all the donors who made surpassing our goal possible,” said Moore.  “It confirms that the heart and soul of our community are second to none.  What a privilege it’s been to be a part of the United Way team for this campaign.”

Throughout the next ten years, United Way will move toward a more focused approach to addressing community-level issues, by showing measurable progress in the areas of education, income and health, the building blocks for a good life.

United Way of Summit County Senior Vice President Katie S. Rennard said, “The long-term and short-term results of our United Way campaigns here in Summit County exceed the results of the other big cities in Ohio. Between 2000 and 2010, our campaigns were up 7.4%, while the other five big cities in the state were all down for the same time frame. And our growth from 2010 to 2011 was another 1.5%.  I believe that it’s also telling to note that the 183 members of the United Way of Summit County Tocqueville Society – denoting those who contribute $10,000 or more annually – far surpasses the Tocqueville membership in similar-sized Ohio communities.

“Summit County’s two largest United Way corporate campaigns were organized and run by The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company with $1.37 million and FirstEnergy Corp. with $1.18 million.  These companies are critical to the campaign’s success in Summit County. Goodyear’s increase - $82,928 - was the largest year-over-year increase in the entire campaign. GOJO Industries, Inc., The University of Akron, Myers Industries, Inc., State & Federal Communications, Inc., and Roetzel & Andress are just some of the 240 organizations that experienced increased giving this year,” Rennard continued.

“Another highlight of the successful campaign was the contributions from new campaigns totaling more than $88,000. Among the largest new campaigns were the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, Austen Bioinnovation Institute, CB Richard Ellis, and a generous first-time gift from the Barberton Community Foundation.”

Total dollars allocated and designated to programs and agencies in Summit County will be announced on April 20, 2012.

United Way of Summit County encourages everyone to LIVE UNITED. Each of us has the power to improve lives and advance the common good when we give, advocate and volunteer. For more information on how to give now, on programs and services in our community, or to volunteer, call your United Way of Summit County at (330) 762-7601, explore our website at www.uwsummit.org, or visit our offices at 90 N. Prospect St., Akron, Ohio.