United Way launches 2021 campaign with positive start in early returns
A chance of thunderstorms cleared Friday morning, making way for approximately 270 volunteers from more than three dozen workplaces around the county to lend a hand on a plethora of projects to benefit the community on a sunny and hot August morning for the sixth annual United Way of Logan County’s Community Care Day.
United Way of Logan County Executive Director Dave Bezusko said the corporate volunteer event has been a fun and interactive way to kick off the annual campaign.
Prior to dispersing throughout the county for projects in the Bellefontaine, West Liberty, Huntsville, Russells Point, Belle Center, East Liberty and many points in between, the volunteers met at the Logan County Fairgrounds show arena for the 68th annual United Way campaign launch. There, Bezusko was able to share about the $1 million campaign goal for 2021, which he said is already off to a very promising start.
“We’re already at $236,000, based on early returns,” he said. “The employees from our overall-top giving workplace last year, NEX Transport, have already raised $20,000 more than last year, and that is before their corporate contribution is included.
“Bellefontaine City Schools staff also recently exceeded their campaign goal. We’re very encouraged by the generosity of these community members, and are looking forward to continuing the campaign this fall.”
Last year, a last-minute donation at the end of 2020 pushed the campaign over its $1 million goal to $1,014,503, as previously reported in the Examiner. Logan County remains the smallest community in Ohio to achieve a $1 million annual campaign, and it has done so for three years.
The many organizations touched by the Community Care Day are a “microcosm” of the way the United Way works, the executive director noted.
“Some of our projects today are ones where the volunteers have a direct impact on clients, such as the groups delivering Meals-On-Wheels today and a food distribution through Second Harvest Food Bank for senior citizens.
“A number of the other projects involve volunteers helping to beautify and improve their community and assist various non-profit organizations, from installing landscaping to painting park benches.”
At Little Learners Christian Day School, 345 Washington Ave., Robinson Investments employees traded in their usual daily workplace tasks for rakes, paintbrushes and even a skid-steer loader brought in by the business to spread gravel in the playground area and to paint and spruce up the play equipment and benches.
“It’s been a great time,” volunteer Lisa Keller said while applying stain to a swing set.
“It’s a nice change of pace to be out here serving, and it feels good to work together in a different way.”
The center’s director, Mary Beth Neighoff, said this was the first time that the preschool submitted a project for Community Care Day. Recently, the program has been the recipient of the United Way’s Impact Funds for the purchase of iPads, along with last year, receiving funds to purchase a commercial oven.
Neighoff related that the volunteers’ dedicated efforts to improve the playground space are “very much appreciated.
“This is a huge help for our program. We need to get new gravel about every two years to maintain requirements for childcare compliance standards, so this group is fulfilling a big need that we had. And they even brought in their own equipment to move the gravel.
“We had a parent pay for the gravel, and received donations of mulch as well, so it is a true community effort.”
With concerns surrounding COVID-19, the preschool director said the youths enrolled in the program “spend as much time outside here at the playground as we can. The kids love it.”
Nearby at the Logan County Fairgrounds, volunteers from the Bellefontaine Rotary Club and the Richwood Banking Company were able to efficiently accomplish painting the exteriors of two large buildings, the Youth Building and the Grange Building.
The participants were quick to point out one of their role models on the job site — Bob Barnwell, who will mark his 90th birthday Thursday and enjoyed painting, even in the heat, alongside his friends.
Logan County Fair Board President Christie Barns the annual service day is one that she and many others look forward to each year.
“We always enjoy this event that brings everyone together. This is the third building painted through this effort. A few years ago, the Merchant Building received a nice face-lift during the Community Care Day.”
At Perry Park in East Liberty and several locations in Zanesfield, Benjamin Logan Schools staff also pitched in while sporting their golden United Way T-shirts.
The volunteer projects included painting the restroom facilities at Perry Park, staining park benches at the Logan Hills Community Park, raking the ditches along Main Street in Zanesfield, and painting the gazebo at the Helen Wonders Blue Memorial Park.
“This is the second year that the Benjamin Logan Schools staff have been able to volunteer on Community Care Day due to school starting after Labor Day,” said Sally Stolly, United Way board member and the district’s director of administrative services.
“Next year, we hope to have student organizations also participate in this volunteer opportunity to give back to the local communities that support our schools.”
Throughout the fall, a dozen volunteers forming a “Million Dollar Roundtable” will be assisting United Way in achieving its fundraising goal by Dec. 31. They include: Deb Baker, Bellefontaine resident; Austin Bernath, Richwood Banking Company; Kyle Brunner, Citizens Federal Savings & Loan; Megan Cauley, Transportation Research Center; Bethany Harman, Richwood Banking Company; Carmen LeVan, Mary Rutan Hospital; Ashley Oakley, Logan County Electric Cooperative; Deb Orr, Mary Rutan Hospital; Jessica Simmons, AmeriPrise Financial; Sarah Warren, Logan County Prosecutor’s Office; and Kelsey Webb, Ohio Hi-Point Career Center.
The United Way fights for the health, education, and financial stability of everyone in Logan County. It does it by working with its 32 funded agencies, corporate, and government partners to identify and fill the biggest gaps in the local social service network.
Donors can give to the 2021 United Way campaign via payroll deduction at work, online at www.uwlogan.org, or by texting UWLOGAN to 44321.