The United Way of Chatham-Kent's annual fundraising campaign continues to receive strong support from local residents.
This year, 2017 Campaign Chair Elizabeth Downey-Sunnen unveiled the fundraising total of $1,687,048 at the Campaign Touchdown Breakfast hosted by the Links of Kent in Chatham.
"It was an honour to be part of the United Way campaign," says Downey-Sunnen. "I am very proud of what our community was able to accomplish, thanks to an amazing team effort."
A release from the local chapter of the United Way notes that the majority of the funds are donated by individuals in the community or employees who give through a workplace campaign. The rest is raised through corporate gifts and special events like the Harvest Run, Red Feather, and Starlight Movie Night.
Fundraising continues to be a challenge for the organization, though. For the third year in a row, the campaign has come up short of its goal, this time missing the mark of $1.725-million that was set back in September.
Total donations are also down for the third year in a row -- the 2015 campaign finished at $1.85-million and the 2016 campaign finished just over $1.7-million.
The funds that are raised during the annual campaign are distributed locally among supported programs and services that reach an estimated 40,000 people in the Chatham-Kent area.
