NEW CHALLENGE

WANT TO DO MORE?

Call Area Wide United Way at 334-9634 or visit Web site: www.areawideunitedway.org

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By Janis M. Gosche ~ Southeast Missourian

Despite a soft national economy, the Area Wide United Way set this year's fund-raising goal $20,000 higher than last year, calling it a challenging, yet achievable target.

The United Way announced its 2002 campaign goal of $895,000 during its annual fund-raising kickoff event at the SEMO District Fair Tuesday.

Campaign organizers had met earlier this year with their top 20 corporate accounts to come up with a fund-raising estimate. This is a new strategy first implemented last year to develop a more realistic goal.

In 2001, the United Way ended up about 15 percent above its goal, getting more than $890,000 in donations.

An increase in support from the Area Wide United Way will aid many groups that have lost other sources of funding in the past year.

"The United Way's 31 local agencies have collectively lost over $550,000 in state and federal funding at the same time the demand for their services is increasing," said Larry Dunger, campaign chair.

However, more than $100,000 has already been raised for the 2002 campaign, with two local companies exceeding goals set in employee campaigns.

The Southeast Missourian increased its campaign goal by 75 percent this year - more than $10,000 - reaching a total of $24,000, while retailer Target has raised over $5,800, surpassing its goal of $5,700.

"I think everyone has more of a patriotic, giving attitude," said Joel Pipkin, a spokesman for Cape Girardeau's Target store. "They want to do more in their community, probably in part because of 9-11."

Crash landing

Elvis impersonator Shane Jones and skydiver Jason Stieneke did their part to kick off the United Way campaign in a suave, patriotic and somewhat bumpy fashion.

Due to early-afternoon high winds, Stieneke met nose-to-nose with a chain-link fence upon his descent in delivering the campaign goal banner, but came away with only a few scratches.

Jones had pumped up the crowd prior to Stieneke's descent with renditions of "Hound Dog" and "America the Beautiful."

The Area United Way also changed its slogan from "The Power of U" to "United Way Changes Lives." Dunger explained that the new slogan more accurately tells what the United Way does.

The United Way supports such agencies in this area as the American Red Cross, the Boy Scouts, the Girl Scouts, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, the Association for Retarded Citizens, the Gibson Recovery Center, the Southeast Missouri Network Against Sexual Violence, Habitat for Humanity, the Jackson Senior Center, the Safe House for Women, and the Salvation Army.

Within the 31 agencies supported locally by the United Way, there are 44 programs.

jgosche@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 133