The Peru Gazette

United Way of the Adirondack Region, Inc. has met the 2018 campaign goal of $725,000. The annual campaign is conducted primarily during the fall months and concludes in February of each year. This year’s campaign raised a total of $725,272.00 which includes proceeds from special events and projections of pending results. Todd McCarthy, Owner of Lenny’s Shoe and Apparel and United Way Board Member, served as the Campaign Chair this year. He said “we are so delighted to deliver this exciting news to our three county region. It is once again a testament to the generosity and caring nature of the North Country. It was very challenging this year and we are proud of what we have been able to achieve. It was a valiant team effort among campaign team volunteers, United Way staff and employee campaign representatives, but most of all, it was the generosity of businesses, organizations and individuals that made it successful. I am always so impressed to see how people in our region come together for their friends and neighbors.”

Other campaign team members include: Bruce Garcia, Marge Garcia, Julie Kramer, Tony Searing, Lisa VanNatten, Jerry Morrow, Bruce Gray, Anna Walls, Gayle Alexander, Dan Alexander, Lori Delaney, DaleAnne Wolter, Joelle Lamica, Hannah Provost, Beth Barnes, Jamie Basiliere, Jody Carpenter, Amy Kretser, Billy Jones and staff members Marion Daniels, Kathy Snow, Rachel Brown, Leona Andrews, Holly LaFountain, Stephanie Euber and John Bernardi, CEO.

The State Employees Federated Appeal (SEFA), which is a campaign for state employees that runs parallel to the United Way campaign also wrapped up recently and raised a total of $91,242.30.

The mission of United Way, which serves Clinton, Essex and Franklin Counties, is to be a leader in community partnership building and to increase the organized capacity of people to care for one another. The funds raised from this campaign will be allocated to local community partner agencies based on donor designations and agency applications for additional funds to support high priority health and human service programs. A committee of community members will review requests for undesignated funds and recommend to the board of directors the awarding of grants based upon prioritized community needs throughout the region. Ed Davis, President of the United Way Board of Directors said, “All the funds stay local and go toward supporting critical services for our friends and neighbors here in the North Country.” Last year, the health and human service