Stillwater, OKLA. - When the members of Oklahoma’s Education Community take on a project like United Way, they have two things to show for the effort: results and a lot of fun. Stillwater’s education fab four -- Oklahoma State University, The Oklahoma Department of Career Technology Education, Meridian Technology Center and the Stillwater Public Schools -- account for almost 30 percent of the funds raised each year for United Way.
The 2006 campaign is no different. The four partners in education expect to contribute over $220,000 toward the $740,000 campaign goal.
“I like to call it “smart” money,” says United Way Executive Director Shelley Ricker. “Because these institutions touch so many members of our community, they see the impact United Way agencies have on children, retirees and families as well as their employees.”
Leading the way for the Stillwater Schools, Sanger Ridge Elementary set a new record high in contributions this year and the Transportation Department more than doubled its contributions from a year ago.
Career Tech launched a campaign with creative competitions that included dry synchronized swimming and egg drops between teams with mottos like “Weapons of Mass Instruction.” Not to be outdone, OSU raised funds with an indoor golf tournament at “Berber Trails” – also known as the second floor of Whitehurst and auctions of everything from sombreros to office chairs.
At Meridian, staff members ate their way to United Way contributions from breakfast burritos to ice cream sundaes.
United Way Office Manager Kim Hall says funds are coming in steadily. She says the campaign is approaching the 70 percent mark. “I got another $20-thousand from OSU today,” she reports, “but I know they are not finished.”
Not only do Stillwater educators raise funds for United Way, they put their time where their money is. Richmond Elementary Principal Gay Washington serves as Allocations Chair for this year’s campaign and appears in the 2006 campaign video. OSU professor James Lumpkin is Past President and serves on the Executive Committee. Meridian’s Jeanne Zagar coordinated the Kickoff Breakfast for the Day of Caring. Career Tech, the OSU Foundation, the College of Veterinary Medicine, the Division of Agriculture, the Perkins-Tryon Schools and Meridian Technology Center all volunteered workers for the Day of Caring.
The “smart” money at City Hall this week was also about having fun the United Way. A crazy hat competition put funds in United Way coffers and also gave visitors something to talk about.
Quebecor World needed a calculator to compute a whopping 30 percent increase in employee giving for this year’s campaign. In addition, Quebecor donated the printing of campaign flyers with a make-your-own-kite kit inside. They currently lead the industry division for growth but campaigns are still underway at Mercruiser and Stillwater Designs. Brunswick Corporation, the parent company of Mercruiser, served as the pacesetter for the 2006 campaign with a $45,000 corporate contribution to recognize Mercruiser employee giving last year.
Ricker also reminds citizens and businesses who have received pledge cards in the mail that the United Way office needs the cards returned by December 1. Campaign chairs Richard and Marti Dermer continue to make presentations in Stillwater featuring kites and the “Fly the United Way!” theme. They are spreading the word that citizens should consider endorsing their state income tax rebates to United Way. The $45 or $90 checks should be arriving in the next week.
Donations to the United Way may be made at the United Way office, 109 East 9th Avenue in Downtown Stillwater and by mail at P. O. Box 308, Stillwater, 74076.
The local United Way website has a great deal of information relating to the campaign and to the 25 agencies supported by the United Way campaign. Contributions may be made online, too, as the website is secure at www.stillwaterunitedway.org.
This is the 53rd United Way campaign in the Stillwater Area. Since 1952, $13 million has been raised in the area and invested in local agencies to assist area residents. Last year alone those agencies answered more than 55,000 calls for help.
